I Must Not Be Weak
by capuciney
Summary: Maria's life on the surface is that of a normal immigrant to New York in the 1920s. But she is surrounded by those who delve into the underworld. Her brother, her neighbours, her husband, even her employer. How will she handle the truth when it comes to surface? Slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

Sometimes when she was alone, Maria would just sit down on the hard wooden floor and drift off into her mind. When she was a small girl, she once read in a book, a quote from one Blaise Pascal. She recalls it clearly, "All of man's troubles come from his inability to sit in a quiet room by himself."

As a child in Europe, her parents had given her books in only English and allowed her to only listen to the English radio. They knew they would eventually make the trip overseas and immigrate to America. They wanted Maria to be able to speak clearly to the first American to greet them on Ellis Island. They wanted to be proud of their daughter, and so, they pushed her hard every night after school to learn English. Grammar, spelling, pronunciation, they spent every extra dollar on lessons.

And here she sat, alone, in a room, staring at a wall with cracks in its plaster. She was now in New York, many years after their immigration, and her parents were dead. Her husband was addicted to gambling, and alcohol. But she was not thinking about those things now. She was in another world.

* * *

"Maria why can't ya just make something basic for once? Ya got all this fancy sauce and noodles and weird chicken, just make me a sandwich, eh?" Maria was getting annoyed by her brother's grumbling.

"Ah, Giuseppe! You don't appreciate actual cooking? Go make yourself a damn sandwich and I will eat this real food by myself." Maria lightly tapped his forehead for emphasis.

They both smiled, and Giuseppe ate anyways. He always liked to tease his sister, he knew that might be the only time she smiled that day.

Her husband, Amon, hadn't come home the night before and she rang him to spend the night. She was afraid if he did come home it would be late at night and he would be in a fit of rage. What she told her brother though, was much different. He thought she was afraid of break-ins, or maybe just afraid to be by herself all night in a cold, dark tenement.

"You hear from that scumbag mick of a husband?" Giuseppe asked with a mouthful of food. Maria scowled at him, but he just winked. Always lightening the mood.

"No, he doesn't normally stay away this long. It's nearly ten! He left around supper last night." Maria leaned on the counter and sighed, pushing a lock of hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"Well sis, tell me tonight if you hear from him. I gotta get to work, boss wants me around by half past." Giuseppe kissed Maria on the forehead before dumping his plates in the sink and winking again. He stopped when he was halfway out the door and turned around. "I'm not worried for him sis, I want you to be safe. If I don't hear from you I'm coming back after work."

"I'll be fine Gip!" She pushed him out the door laughing. She could hear his laughter down the halls for a few moments after the lock clicked shut. Sighing again she set to cleaning the dishes.

Amon worked a basic labour job. Sometimes he would spend weeks helping build a new school, or office building. Right now he was on the subway job, which is supposed to last for another year or even more. Sometimes the union had no work for weeks at a time. Maria had heard of men not having work for months, and having to move out of the tenements and into relatives or friends homes.

Not having any children, Maria was working at an office as a typist. The lowest tier. She saved a dime every week and almost had enough to buy herself a new dress. This way, maybe she would stand out a bit. She was only sad that she wouldn't be able to wear that dress every day, as most other ladies that she worked with were more upperclass and had more than enough dresses for each day of the week and had time to wash them more than once a month.

Still, she wanted to be able to provide more for herself. Giuseppe ran with a shady crowd, and yet he made quite a large amount of money. He wore tailored suits every day and had a hat for every occasion. He never told Maria what he did, just referred to it as business.

Once, out on a stroll downtown during her lunch break, Maria had seen Giuseppe enter a cafe with a group of men. One of which she recognized, as she had seen him on the cover of the newspaper. Johnny Torrio. One of the biggest mob bosses in Chicago.

Maria gazed around the room. Her small tenement had one other room, the bedroom. The baths were in the basement of the building, and for that small detail Maria was grateful. Their life in Sicily had been hard and she did not miss bathing outside in the river. They could have had a larger tenement, maybe even lived in a more respectable area, if Amon didn't go out each night. None of Amon's money went towards groceries or rent; and he wanted Maria to give him a child! A family of three could not live off of a typist's wages. They're barely getting by as it is.

Leaving some dishes half washed in the sink, she went to the bedroom to get herself ready for work. Being a Sunday she didn't normally work, but her boss had a very valuable investor coming in and needed her to help him do some 'persuading'. Usually that meant talking up the investment and playing the 'I'm a meek little girl' act. Being so, she had to put on her best clothes. Mr. Alfredson, her boss, had made a little 'investment' in her, and spent $50 on a tailored dress. She kept it wrapped up in paper and under the bed so Amon would never find it. She put that on, pinned her hair up, put on her only hat, and applied a tasteful amount of rouge.

She made her way downstairs; she lived on the third floor. Having moved house just a few weeks earlier she hadn't met many families from her block. In fact, it seemed very quiet compared to the old neighbourhood in Brooklyn. In the old block she would run into at least two people just going down the stairs but, now, she hadn't seen a single soul in days.

She lost her footing on the bottom of the steps outside and nearly crashed into a man walking by. He grabbed her wrists to keep her from hitting the pavement and her bag hit the ground, spilling its contents everywhere.

"Oh, Jesus, I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to-"

"You don't have to apologize, I'm the one that fell!" Maria said, laughing. The man seemed so embarrassed as he quickly picked up her things, "Not everyday you have women falling for you Mr...?"

"Lansky," Another man cut in, walking up from behind the stuttering Mr. Lansky. "And no, he doesn't. Of the two of us, I'd like to believe I'm more of a ladies man. The name's Lucky."

Lucky held out his hand. Maria just smiled coyly and shook it. He had quite a firm grip. And quite a disgusting smile on his face. He was very handsome, but something told her that he had less than honorable intentions in everything that he did.

"Well, I'm Maria. Ginsberg. It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Lansky," She smiled brightly and held out her hand. He seemed to hesitate before shaking it.

"You can just call me Meyer," he said, seemingly getting his bearings a bit. The blush was starting to fade.

"Ginsberg, eh?" Lucky cut in, "Meyer's a Jew, too."

Lucky took a drag from his cigarette while looking at them expectantly. Meyer looked less than impressed. After a few moments of silence he gave up.

"Ok, I'll be waiting in the car. Don't take too long Romeo."

"Is he normally that arrogant?" Maria asked when Lucky was safely out of hearing range. She gave a short laugh.

"Yes, yes he is. I wouldn't exactly say he has any tact. I'm not really sure what I did to get stuck with him as a business partner." Maria could tell he had no idea what to do with his hands. After a few seconds of smoothing out his coat he finally put them in his pockets.

"Oh, shoot, speaking of business I'm late for a meeting. If I don't start running now I don't know if I'll make it," Maria gave a little groan as she realized that she had been wasting way too much time chatting.

"Well, um, where do you work? I'm sure I could give you a lift." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lucky give Meyer a little thumbs up from inside the car. So he wasn't out of hearing range then.

"Goldman Sachs," Maria smiled. She found herself smiling a lot around Meyer. Too polite. Stop it. He smiled back.

"Get outta the car Lucky, I gotta drive the lady to work," Meyer opened the door and gestured for Lucky to step out.

"Why can't she just hop in the back?"

"Because I'm taking her downtown. Our business happens to be in the other direction. Why would I make her sit in the back when I am going to be coming back this way? Go sit inside, or outside, I don't care."

"Fine. Fine. I'm getting out. Ouch! Okay, I'm moving faster. You kids have fun!" Lucky sat on the front steps of their building and lit up a smoke.

"Oh, I'm sure we will!" Maria winked as she hopped up into the car. Lucky chuckled unabashadly. Meyer didn't blush this time, just laughed and looked over at Maria.

* * *

Giuseppe arrived at the Venezia Restaurant about a half hour before instructed. The restaurant was closed, as usual for a Sunday, and The Boss was sitting at a table with a coffee in his hand. Two men stood watch as he read the newspaper.

"Ah, Gip! How is it my boy? Always early, always reliable!" Joe Masseria stood up and shook Gip's hand before sitting back down. Gip removed his hat and placed on the table, then placed his sidearm next to it.

"I would've been earlier if I didn't promise my sister I would stop by for Sunday brunch. You know me Joe! Always making promises." Gip smiled amicably and Joe patted him on the shoulder.

"You remind me of myself when I was your age, my boy. You will go places. But today, the place you must go, will be determined by this meeting." Gip nodded his head solemnly. If this meeting went the way they wanted, they would be expanding into the narcotics business, not just bootlegging. Things would change.

"Got anything stronger than coffee in here, eh?" Gip shouted over to one of the men near the counter.

"Just a little something to wake me up."

"Not too much, eh boy? Just a thimble. Not many employers would allow even a drop of alcohol to their men on the job." Joe chuckled.

It wasn't until after Gip finished his spiked coffee and bagel that the others had shown up. Joe didn't seem as happy as he did when Gip had walked through the door.

"Boys, you are late! Is this the kind of reputation you think Rothstein wants?" Joe stayed seated as they sat at the table.

"Meyer here had to drive a broad all the way downtown!" Lucky laughed, quick to point his finger. Meyer opened his mouth like he was about to defend himself but Joe cut him off.

"It's good you are respectful to women but please try to be more timely next time. Jesus, you boys are giving me gray hairs."

"So you got a woman now, eh, Polak?" Gip asked as he lit a cigarette.

"No, we just met today. It's not important."

"Must be a very important lady if you just met her today and you were willing to nearly stand us up for her!" Lucky chuckled at Joe's remark. He was usually the one getting grilled.

"Can we please lay off the ladyfriend shit and get down to business? A.R. sent us with this, might make you a bit more inclined to stop worrying about where I'm sticking it and start worrying about what kind of money you could be making," Meyer dropped a briefcase on the table top and flipped it open, revealing large stacks of twenty dollar bills.

"I like it, very fiery! This woman, she brings out your manly side." Joe joked, laughing before he even finished speaking. "You are normally like a small school boy who just finished reading a dictionary."

"Of everyone I'd expect you to appreciate the art of conversation, Mr. Masseria," Meyer said, smiling despite himself. Lucky was struggling to hide his guffaws.

"Okay. So how much money you have there?"

"Thirty grand. It's ten percent of what we make per shipment of heroin. See where I'm going with this?"

"Where do you get your shipments?" Joe asked, now curious.

"Thats the tricky part. We can get them in by boat but due to the recent outbreak of amateur bootleggers, the docks are being watched too closely. That's where you come in. You get your booze from Atlantic City. We've struck a deal with Nucky Thompson and we can use his docks. All we need now is some trucks and manpower, and giving you a ten percent cut is a lot cheaper than getting our own men. We can just throw our heroin in with your booze."

"Ya won't even notice it's there," Lucky threw in, to top off Meyer's speech. Meyer gave him one of his disapproving looks.

"And what if I'm like the princess and the pea?" Joe asked, laughing.

"Then Nucky Thompson gets a twenty percent cut and we use his trucks."

"Why didn't you just cut that deal when you asked to use the docks?"

"Because you were our first choice. Another way of keeping the peace between us, if you shall." Meyer looked expectantly at Joe, but Joe was turned in his chair looking at Gip.

"Well, Gip. Looks like you're heading to Atlantic City."


	2. Chapter 2

Because Meyer had been so kind as to give her a ride, Maria was nearly twenty minutes early and able to sit and have a bite to eat at the cafe across the road. She had invited Meyer but he politely declined, saying he was pressed for time as it was. It seemed genuine but her smile still faltered. He probably noticed and that may have been the reason why he continued apologizing profusely for the next few minutes until she had to shoo him away.

Maria always enjoyed being in Lower Manhattan. The hustle and bustle was different than that of in Queens, or Brooklyn. It was more... professional. Everyone was well dressed and walking with purpose. The men all had finely tailored suits and fashionable hats. The women were all stoic and proper with professional dress. Most of them seemed a little bit older, like they would frown upon any girl wearing a bobbed haircut or a flapper dress. Maria always felt drawn to the new fashions until she saw the older ladies scowling. Plus, she liked her long curly hair too much to chop it off.

After eating a plain lunch of a ham sandwich and water, no coffee before a meeting so her breath didn't smell, Maria made her way across the road to Goldman Sachs. Up to the third floor and she was at Mr. Alfredson's office. He was attempting to push the company into real estate investments, and his client today was the first.

Maria did what she always did. She sat down at her desk and began typing up whatever work she had left over from Saturday. She would look busy until Mr. Alfredson would call her into his office to give him something and he would ask her a question or two. Today they were attempting to subtly coerce this fool into purchasing property in Florida. Maria was called in, and she straightened her dress and moved in for the kill.

"Thank you very much Mrs. Ginsberg!" Mr. Alfredson said as she dropped the papers off on his desk.

"Have you met Albert Brown? He's looking at investing in property down south."

"How do you do, Mr. Brown?" Maria politely shook his hand.

"You can just call me Albert," He said charmingly, flashing some sickeningly white teeth.

"Albert here is looking at the same area your husband was looking at, dear. Can you tell Albert anything about it?" Mr. Alfredson winked when Albert's back was turned to him.

"I'd love to hear what you have to say," Albert smiled.

"Well, my husband has always invested in real estate, and I told him it was a mistake. I'd never been to Florida. I didn't understand the market. But I begged him not to do it, it just seemed like so much money to me."

Behind Albert's back Mr. Alfredson was giving her an approving look.

"Hmm, yes, sounds very much like my wife." Of course it does, Maria thought. Mr. Alfredson had told her previously exactly why Albert Brown had been wary of investing. A little bird was chirping negative things into his ear. With due reason, it was swamp land.

"In the end, I regretted my influence. After I saw how much money other clients made on that investment I really wished I had kept my mouth shut. It really wasn't my place to be making decisions with our money, that's a man's job." Maria did her best to look meek. She frowned and looked at the floor.

"Thanks, Maria. Can you get those other copies done for me?" Mr Alfredson said, gesturing towards the door.

"Yes, sir. It was nice meeting you, Albert."

"And you, too, Maria." Albert turned to Mr. Alfredson. "She's definitely gave me a lot to think about. How about I buy-"

Maria heard no more after closing the door. She smiled to herself and returned to her desk. She would definitely be getting some sort of bonus for that little act.

She returned to her typing. She didn't mind coming in on Sunday, even if it was her only day off. Working a few more hours would add that much more to her paycheck, and it's not like she had anything to do at home anyway. Amon hadn't come home by the time she left at ten o'clock and she had finished all the housework by then.

The phone ringing startled her so much that she knocked some papers off the desk and onto the floor. She answered more by instinct than anything, why would anyone be calling when the investment firm was closed?

"Hello?"

"Eh! Maria!" Her brother's voice echoed over the other end of the line.

"You scared me, Gip! Why are you calling me at work?"

"Just wanted to tell you I have some good news. Well, you might consider it bad news. When ya off?"

"I've got another hour and then I'm out of here. I might have a ride home so I should be back a little earlier."

"Who's the ride? Find yourself a rich man? Or another mick?"

"No, Gip! Just a friend. Come over to my house later." She hung up without waiting for him to say goodbye. That's just how they did things. Their love was masked in jabs and insults.

Mr. Alfredson's assistant usually offered to give her a ride home on Sundays, but she was considering asking Meyer. He gave her a number that she could reach him at and she turned the paper over in her fingers. Maybe she should give it some time. She was a married woman after all. She tucked the paper into her pocket and went back to her typing.

* * *

Maria hopped out of the car as it pulled up in front of her building. She waved at the driver as she shut the door. Glancing around she noticed a Rolls Royce sitting parked on the side of the road. It had to be Gip's. How he managed to get a Rolls, she had no idea.

She climbed the stairs, careful not to touch anything because she was still wearing her nicest pair of white gloves. The banister was so filthy and she didn't think she'd be able to get her gloves back to the same shade of white if they ever came into contact with that kind of grime.

"Gip!" She yelled as she opened the front door. "Where the fuck did you get a Rolls?"

Gip came from the other room laughing, his suspenders hanging down by his sides and a coffee in hand.

"What? Why would you think that's mine?" He asked, chuckling.

"Because who else on this block would have a Rolls? If anyone here could afford that they wouldn't be living here." Maria tutted at him.

"Well, it ain't mine. It's my bosses. I'm picking something up for him later and he said I can use it for the next couple of hours."

"Well isn't that swell. Sit down and I'll fix you something to eat," Maria ordered.

"I ain't hungry! Just let me tell you the news!" Gip gestured for her to sit down with him. She sighed and complied.

"So?" Maria asked after sitting in silence a few seconds too long.

"Okay, how do I say this? I got a promotion." Gip said, looking serious.

"What kind of promotion? You don't seem happy."

"Well, that's the thing. It could be a very good thing if you agree to come with me. Or very bad if you don't. I'm gonna be moving down to Atlantic City in a few weeks. I want you to come, leave Amon here."

Maria said nothing, she just looked down at her hands. She knew this would happen sooner or later. Leaving Amon was always inevitable, but she didn't think it would come this soon. She did love him, at one point in time. But now he was just dragging her down with him. She looked up at Gip.

"I know it's a hard decision, Maria. But you gotta understand, there's nothing for us here," Gip said, placing his hand over hers.

"What about my job? I'm doing very well. I got a twenty dollar bonus today, for hard work," Maria smiled crookedly. She was just making excuses, lying to herself to convince herself to stay. In reality, she knew Gip was right.

"I can hook you up in Atlantic City. I promise you. You won't have to worry about Amon either, okay? I'll take care of everything."

"Okay," Maria nodded, a real smile finally forming across her face. Gip stood up and leaned over the table, hugging her.

"Thank god," Gip breathed out into her hair, "I'll get us a nice house on the beach. Three bedrooms, living room, kitchen, dining room, a fucking parlour! Imagine that, Maria!"

All Maria could do was laugh. Tomorrow morning she would wake up and go to work just like it was any other day. In three weeks she would give her notice to Mr. Alfredson. Hopefully Amon wouldn't come home tonight and she could sleep soundly in her bed to the sound of Gip's snoring coming from the main room.

* * *

"Come on, Meyer! Your stubby little legs can't move that fast, eh?" Lucky laughed as he climbed the stairs to their tenement office.

"Shut the fuck up!" Meyer retorted.

"Good one, ya kike," Lucky said, laughing. Meyer just sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder what the fuck I'm doing here. But then I realize that this operation wouldn't run without me, and you'd be a broke fuck selling newspapers on the corner," Meyer said, laughing at Lucky's offended expression.

"Really?" Lucky said, offended, as they walked through the front door of their so called office. Their partner Benny was lounging on a table, eating a sandwich.

"Benny, do you have everything ready?" Meyer asked, sounding slightly annoyed. He put his briefcase on the table and opened it, revealing bags upon bags of uncut heroin.

"Um, yeah, sure I do," Benny stuttered, scrambling off the table and over to a desk.

"So when you say you have everything ready, you mean to say that you have all the heroin bagged up and strapped to your body, you have all the numbers filed off of the guns, and you have all the dropoff locations memorized?" Meyer listed off, as he emptied the briefcase of the heroin.

"Yep I got the heroin all bagged over here, just gotta tuck it away." Benny held up a bag of powder and a buckled strap. Meyer looked over at Lucky who was simply leaning against the wall, chuckling.

"Don't fuck this up. You're carrying a lot of product with you." Meyer lectured, getting closer and closer to Benny. "If you get caught by the wrong people, you will be gutted in the street, understand me?"

"Yes, Meyer! I've done this before, of course I know what's gonna happen. Trust me, I got this." Benny found it hard to convince someone of his usefulness while he was simultaneously struggling to strap heroin bags to his limbs.

"Then get the fuck outta here. I don't wanna be disturbed for the rest of the night. When you get back you're gonna help us cut this shit, okay? I'll give you a little lesson." Benny smiled, knowing that in a way Meyer just kind of promoted him.

"Got it!" Benny said, practically hopping out the front door.

"Jesus, Meyer. Go easier on him! What happened to the stuttering Meyer that was talking to a pretty lady this morning, eh? You should bring out manly Meyer around the birds and nice Meyer around the little children." Lucky laughed, slapping Meyer on the back.

"Are you ever gonna shut up about that?"

"Not until you're married. Then I'll tell everyone about it at the wedding," Lucky burst out laughing again.

"Sit the fuck down and help me cut this!" Meyer was quickly losing his patience. He felt like he was running an operation full of giggly little schoolboys.

The sound of a gunshot rang out through the air. Meyer and Lucky didn't even think, just grabbed their guns and went flying out the door. When they got outside they saw Benny yelling something at a car full of men driving away. Another shot rang out.

Meyer shot at the car and hit one of the men who then went tumbling onto the pavement. That's what you get for riding on the running boards, Meyer thought.

"Get the fuck inside, Benny!" Meyer yelled, trying to get through to Benny's frazzled brain.

"What the fuck is going on out here?" Gip said, calmly, coming up behind Meyer and Benny. "Meyer? The fuck you doin' here?"

"Giuseppe, Jesus, I could ask the same thing."

"My fucking sister lives here and I wasn't aware she was living across the road from a fucking heroin operation," Gip was getting a little too close to Meyer, and he was not in the mood for a lecture right now.

"Gip, why don't you back up, it was the kid's fault not Meyer's," Lucky's voice came from behind them.

"We was just upstairs minding our own business."

"You two better get your shit together. I don't want this shit happening again. One more chance and A.R. hears about it." Gip spat on the ground and walked back inside.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Lucky muttered. "Who the fuck was that? Who could've known that this was our dropoff night?"

"I don't know, but I'm calling A.R." Meyer said, as Lucky started protesting, "I gotta! He has to know that the dropoffs weren't made. Unless you think it's safe to send Benny out a couple hours from now."

"Yeah, let's do that. Come on, calling Rothstein? Just send the kid out. Fuck."

Meyer just shook his head and made his way back up to the office where Benny was waiting, shell-shocked sitting at the desk.

"You okay, kid?" Lucky asked the shaking boy.

"Yeah I'm fine. I almost got one! Those fuckers won't be coming back!"

"Yeah you almost got one but Meyer here did get one. So we're gonna have to lay low. Make your deliveries a couple hours from now and if the sun comes up, get your ass back. After that body gets found there's gonna be a lot of buzzing around here. So finish that shit up tonight and we're done for a week or two."

Lucky sat down next to Meyer and they got to work cutting the powder.


	3. Chapter 3

"What was it?" Maria shouted out when she heard Gip coming through the front door. She had heard the shouting out in the street but couldn't make out any faces when she peered out the window.

"Just some fuckin' hooligans. Business partners. You know the drill." Giuseppe stood in the doorway looking disheveled. "Let's just say I'm glad you decided to come with me to Atlantic City."

"You know, Gip, if I'm going to Atlantic City for you, you're going to have to tell me more about this business. Because I deserve to know," Maria said pointedly, and she continued, "And, I think you have the right to know that I have met someone. And I believe he is in the same business as you, he refers to everything like you do, and acts the same way you do when I ask him about such matters."

Gips eyebrows raised and his face went a very dark shade of red. This was not good. Maria rarely saw Gip get so mad.

"It better not be motherfucking Luciano, I swear to God, if you are fucking Lucky Luciano-"

"It's not! Jesus, Gip! I don't even know who that is!" Internally Maria was trying to process this new information. Lucky Luciano was most likely the sleazy young man who was hanging out with Meyer. Well, the chances of it being someone else was quite slim. How many people in this city could call themselves Lucky and be involved in organized crime? Luciano was an Italian last name; Lucky seemed very Italian. So if Gip knew Lucky he probably knew Meyer. This was not good.

"That motherfucker. You better not be lying to me," Gip was now standing up, pacing the floor of the main room, "Because that guy is a scumbag. He feeds girls the same lies in every city, and he's got girls everywhere. Everywhere, Maria!"

Maria did not doubt for a second that Luciano was a player. She still did not give in. She was, however, offended that Gip thought there was a chance she could be sleeping with him and lying to her own brother about it.

"Giuseppe Leonardo Rosetti. Do you really think me, your only family in this whole country, would lie to you? I am not impressed with you right now." Maria stood up, finger pointing at Gip and the distance between them closing with every word. "Do you really think I would do that?"

"I'm sorry Maria I-"

"Do you want to know the name of the man I am seeing? So you can go kill him?"

"No! I'm sorry. I crossed the line. But, Maria, you know you are married."

"Wow! Thank you for that valuable piece of information."

"I'm sorry Maria. I am. I don't want to know his name, not yet. I'm sorry!" Gip had his hands together in front of his chest like he was praying to the lord, but instead it was just his sister standing over him, angry and confused.

"Good! So we can go to bed. We will talk about this at a more appropriate time and on a more appropriate date. Okay, Gip?" Maria's expression softened. They never stayed mad at eachother for very long. Gip had quite the temper but he seemed to get it under control after their parents died. He could no longer fly off the handle because he had responsibilities now. He was worried constantly about Maria and her safety, especially with a husband like Amon.

"Okay, Maria. I'm sorry. I really am. Go off to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Maria softly pulled his head down her level and kissed his forehead. She smiled and walked off into her room, closing the door silently. Gip stayed awake in the main room for another hour, just laying in bed and staring at the ceiling.

One thing was on his mind all night, and that was the man that Maria was seeing. He had not one inkling as to who it could be and he knew it would eat away at him.

* * *

Meyer picked Maria up at the time they had agreed on. She had been so insistent on meeting tonight that he felt a very nervous feeling inside. Had she looked out her window a couple weeks ago and seen him shoot a man down in the street?

They drove in a comfortable silence to the restaurant. Lindy's was one of A.R.'s favourites and Meyer had requested some muscle be present just in case anything went wrong.

"Such a gentleman," Maria laughed when they had pulled up to the restaurant and Meyer had immediately ran around the car to her door to help her out.

"You know me, always thinking of you," Meyer winked and laughed as he gently took her hand. He was being quite smooth tonight, Maria almost didn't want him to let go.

And yet, their hands parted, and they made their way through the front doors. Maria clutched her bag to her chest, just to give her hands something to do. She felt like she was itching to do something, or maybe it was the nerves. She was about to break some news to Meyer that he might not like. He seemed to have been so smitten with her within the past few weeks.

Walking through the restaurant, Maria spotted Gip sitting with a couple other men. She waved, and immediately felt self-conscious. Gip's face lit up and then immediately turned into a scowl.

"You know him?" Meyer asked, suddenly breaking into a sweat.

"Yep, kind of." Gip had given her a weird look. Clearly Meyer and Gip knew eachother somehow but she didn't want to know. That was their problem to talk about.

"Kind of?"

"It's a long story, but that's not why we're here, is it?" Maria gestured to one of the booths and they both sat down.

"So, what brings us here tonight? What's the special occasion? You don't normally insist so much on spending time together." Meyer propped his chin on his hands, like a child anxiously awaiting a story.

"Well, it's kind of hard to explai-"

"Just say it, please, it's killing me!"

"I'm moving to Atlantic City." Maria blurted out.

The silence between the two was deafening. Meyer seemed to be taking more than a few seconds to process what was happening.

"Say something. Please!" Maria begged. She looked over to Gip but he had left. In that instant she felt helpless, like she was drowning. Meyer was silent for a few more seconds.

"Um, well, I guess the appropriate question in this situation would be why?" Meyer looked down at his hands, fiddling with the handle of his coffee cup.

"My brother is moving there and I need to go. He's my only family. I couldn't bear being away from him for months at a time."

Meyer glanced up at her from his coffee cup, eyes large like a puppy who had just been kicked. A few deep breaths were taken.

"You could… you could come live with me?" The question was said like a statement, quiet and spoken so softly it was almost as if Meyer didn't want Maria to hear.

Maria let the question hang in the balance for a few long, painful moments before standing up. The chair scraped loudly against the floor, jolting Meyer back into reality.

"I have to go to work, Meyer. I'm sorry."

Meyer stood up robotically, remembering the manners that his dear mother had taught him. _Remember boychik, never be sitting when a lady is entering the room or even when she is leaving. All girls are looking for a gentleman, not a hooligan._

"I'm sorry," Maria said again, barely a whisper. She walked out with her head down. Stepping out the door she took a huge breath of the fresh air and willed herself not to cry. It's what needed to be done. She hadn't been honest with Meyer.

How could she take up Meyer's offer on staying in New York? How could she possibly continue hiding the fact that she was married? It was never meant to be and she had to move on. Atlantic City was her shining beacon of hope.

* * *

By the time Maria had arrived at work she was rosy cheeked from the brisk walk and looked as normal as can be. Everything had been put behind her and was concentrated only on the short shift she had ahead of her.

"Maria! Can I see you in my office?" Mr. Alfredson greeted her at the door. Maria inwardly sighed, already he wanted her to put on a little song and dance for another client.

"Of course, sir, let me just put my things at my desk and I'll be right in," Maria smiled brightly, something she had been practicing for years. She learned you can get much farther in the world when you put on a front. Smile when you don't want to. Agree to things you don't want to agree to. Please people and eventually you will be in the position where they will have to please you.

Maria rolled her desk open and unlatched her briefcase. She set out her pens and paper, and took the cover off her typewriter. The ink well was filled up already. Everything was set. She sighed as she looked towards Mr. Alfredson's office.

"You don't look too happy, dear," said one of the other typists, "Mr. Alfredson got you working clients, too? I had to do that back when I was a thin little thing like you. But you know what happens after you have five children…"

Maria stopped listening to the mindless chatter. They all spoke of boring things like cooking and children, and how magnificent their husbands were. The only downside to this job, Maria thought, was being surrounded by women who truly believed they were inferior.

Straightening out her dress, Maria made her way to the office.

"Mrs. Ginsberg! I'd like you to meet our newest client," Mr. Alfredson gestured to the well-dressed man sitting in the corner of the office, daintily sipping tea from some fine china. He placed the tea on the saucer, making a tiny 'clink'. He offered a well manicured hand out for Maria.

"How do you do? I'm Arnold Rothstein."


	4. Chapter 4

Meyer scraped heavily at the serial number on the gun in his hand, the file moving back and forth rhythmically.

"Hey! Don't file it so hard you'll damage the gun!" Lucky shouted from across the room. "You're just trying to take the number off not the fucking barrel!"

Meyer didn't even hear him, he was too focused on the file moving back and forth, back and forth. Small bits of metal were flaking off and Meyer's breath pushed it up into the air, where it slowly floated down onto the floor.

The gun was ripped out of Meyer's hands and he finally looked up to see Lucky.

"The fuck's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Meyer said quietly as he stood up and ran his hands through his hair.

"There's obviously something eating at you, Lansky." Lucky stood watching as Meyer made his way across the room and layed down unceremoniously on the couch. A long sigh escaped his lips.

"It's just…" Meyer sighed again, "It's nothing important, Charlie. I'll get over it."

A smile appeared on Lucky's face. He nodded his head, a pointed the gun at Meyer.

"It's that broad isn't it?" He waited a second to gauge Meyer's reaction, "It is! Meyer's in love! Sick in love, like a puppy."

"Stop! Stop it," Meyer yelled as Lucky jumped on top of him, poking his stomach, "No I'm not! Get the fuck off me! I don't want to listen to you right now."

"She dumped you didn't she?" Lucky asked, now sitting on the floor, having been tossed down there by a flailing Meyer.

"It's none of your fucking business!"

"Well, come on, we can go down to that cathouse I like. It's got some real nice redheads. Real nice," Lucky laughed, putting his hands in front of his chest and bouncing some imaginary breasts.

"She's moving to Atlantic City," Meyer lamented, not meeting Lucky's eyes. He seemed to fiddle with his hands a lot lately.

Lucky stayed silent.

"I'm sorry, Meyer. Maybe you'll run into her next time you're there."

Meyer looked over at Lucky, startled that he actually sounded sincere for once. He waited for that trademark smile to pop up, followed by some sort of anecdote or stupid jab.

"But, until then, there's a whole lot of single women in New York who are just dying to be taken out by a real life gangster!" Lucky got up, laughing and poking at Meyer again.

A knock on the door interrupted Lucky's horseplay. They both straightened their clothes and patted their hair down, trying to maintain some sort of professional appearance.

Lucky opened the door to reveal A.R. looking quite bright eyed and bushy tailed for it being four in the morning.

"Gentleman," Arnold nodded, passing them by swiftly and moving to the desk in the corner of the room. He sat down comfortably, as if he had done it a million times. He leaned back, crossed his legs, and rested his chin in his hand, staring down the boys casually.

Lucky and Meyer shared a confused glance before sitting down opposite A.R. The silence dragged on for a few moments before Meyer cleared his throat.

"What brings you to this part of town?" Meyer asked.

"At this time of night," Lucky quipped, before being silenced by one of Meyer's familiar glares. Arnold watched the exchange with curiosity before sitting up straight and placing his palms on the desktop.

"I've recently made a connection at Goldman Sachs. Very lovely young lady. Did you know they have a real estate investment firm?" His gaze shifted from Lucky to Meyer. Neither of their expressions changed.

"So I've heard," Meyer said, hoping to sound casual. Lucky's signature smirk was appearing.

"I'm looking at real estate in Florida, maybe open up some more avenues for business. Card rooms and the such. But the biggest of all, genuine rum from the Caribbean. It would go for a pretty penny up here. Do you both agree?"

"Yes, of course A.R., a novel idea. But did you come here to make idle chatter about your recent investments? Or are you saying we're gonna be sent to Florida?" Meyer asked.

Arnold's expression didn't change but Meyer's mood piqued his interest. He wasn't normally so curt.

"Not for a while, but I have considering sending you, Meyer, to Florida within the next year for what you could call a bit of a reconnaissance mission, under the guise of being there on a business trip looking at the properties I'm considering investing in. Get the lay of the land, get contacts for shipping purposes, find the best rum routes. I trust I can put this in your hands?"

"Yes, of course A.R. You know I can handle it." Meyer's shoulders relaxed slightly. He figured something like this would help him move up quite quickly, gain some more rank. It was exactly the sort of thing he'd been waiting for for the past few years.

"And you," Arnold turned to look at Lucky, "will be heading to Atlantic City. Can I trust you Charlie? To not gamble and whore away the day and actually get some work done?"

"Depends on what yous want me to do, A.R." Lucky smirked, then caught himself, "but yeah, of course, business only. No pleasure."

"Good. Because I have a simple job for you. There is a man who guys by the name of James Darmody, one of Nucky Thompson's lackys. He's taken something from me that I can't get back, so, naturally you'll have to kill him." Arnold spoke so casually that his words almost surprised Charlie. It was a bit chilling to hear A.R. order a hit on someone. Like he could just wave his hand and someone over a hundred miles away would be dead.

"Yeah, I can do that. No problem, A.R."

"Good. You can leave in a few days once I have all the information I need," Arnold stood up, straightening out his coat and putting his hat back on, "Have a good evening, gentlemen. And try not to kill him." Rothstein was looking at Meyer and gesturing towards Lucky.

"I can't make any promises," Meyer joked, and with that Rothstein swiftly exited the room with a tip of his cap. Meyer and lucky shared a small smile.

"Things are looking up, eh?"

* * *

Maria returned home to the smell of bacon being cooked on the stove top. She cautiously looked around the corner to see Amon's tall figure hunched over the stove, poking at and turning the bacon with a fork.

"Where have you been?" Maria asked, slightly startling the tall redheaded man.

"Jesus, Maria. Don't sneak up on me like that!" Amon laughed, clutching his chest and feigning a heart attack.

"Where the fuck have you been, Amon? It's been two weeks!" Maria threw her purse on the ground and approached her husband. He didn't put up a fight.

"Just sit down, I'll make you some food and we can talk," Amon turned back to the stove while Maria sat at the small table.

"Well? You should talk soon because Gip will be home any minute now, and it's hard to reason with him."

"Are you trying to threaten me?" Amon turned around, to look at Maria.

"No, I'm just telling you the truth. You can't leave your wife alone for two weeks and not expect anyone to get upset."

Amon just sighed and turned back to the bacon. The coffee on the stove was ready so he poured two cups, placing one in front of Maria.

"Milk?" he asked, and Maria nodded. He put a bottle of milk on the table and went back to cooking.

Maria poured milk in her coffee and saw her hand shaking. It didn't feel natural to be sitting in the kitchen with Amon, pretending everything was okay. She felt sick to her stomach. Sipping nervously at her coffee she watched Amon cook their late breakfast. Eggs on the pan, bacon still sizzling, toast being cooked just the way she liked it. This is how it used to be, years ago, and she saw a small sliver of the man he used be.

Plates were placed in front of Maria and Amon was smiling lovingly. She wanted nothing more than to smack the cheeky little smirk off of face. She realized she didn't care where he was the past two weeks, she just wanted him gone.

"Amon. I want a divorce." Maria blurted out, no longer nervous. Her voice was assertive. She simply looked at Amon over her coffee cup and sipped, waiting expectantly. Amon put down the piece of bacon he was about to eat and looked at her incredulously.

"Why?"

"Are you fucking serious?" Maria slammed her cup down, now feeling nothing but anger. "You left for two weeks without a word of notice! The past couple years you've done nothing but drink and gamble away your paycheck! I can't support the both of us on typists wages, no matter how many small bonuses I get. It's getting unbearable, Amon."

"I was in Chicago," Amon said abruptly. Maria just glared at him, "My cousin Deany, owns a shop there. He wants me to work for him."

"Then you can get your mick ass to Chicago, I don't give a fuck," Maria said with indifference. Good riddance.

"I can make a good living there, Maria! I'll finally be able to provide for you. I've been clean the past two weeks!" Amon was begging desperately.

"You go to Chicago. I'm done with New York, and I've already made arrangements to move to Atlantic City. I'll leave you a note with my new address, and once you find a place in Chicago we can start the proceedings."

"Maria-" Amon started saying but was interrupted by the front door opening.

"Smells delicious in here, Maria! Did you make me some bacon for-" Gip rounded the corner and saw Amon sitting at the table. "You got ten seconds to explain," Gip said calmly, leaning against the door frame.

"We've agreed to get a divorce. I'm moving to Chicago to work for my cousin. After the divorce is finalized you won't hear from me again." Amon spoke calmly, looking at Maria the whole time. Gip let out a barking laugh.

"So mi bella sorella can handle herself after all. You stupid fuck," Gip continued laughing as he grabbed himself a plate and piled it high with bacon, eggs, and toast. Smothering it in salt he sat down next to Amon. "I'm glad to hear you'll be leaving the family and Maria will be a Rosetti again."

"It seems as if it will be for the best," Amon said quietly, concentrating on eating his food.

Maria knew that if Gip had not show up then Amon would have never caved. But, Amon knew he had two choices, heed to Maria's wishes or end up dead in a ditch somewhere outside of the city.

"Of course it will be. It would also be in your best interest if you would leave, too. Maria and I are heading to New Jersey in a couple days, on Monday. You can come back then." Gip stopped eating and looked intently at Amon, daring him to defy him.

Amon only sighed and placed his dishes in the sink. He put on a coat, hat, and gloves and grabbed his bag. All the while Maria and Gip ate in silence, not even glancing over at him.

"Goodbye," Maria said as the door closed behind him.

"Jesus fucking christ, what an absolute stronzo," Gip shook his head and kept eating. Maria just let out a small chuckle.

"You wouldn't believe what happened to me today," Maria said, smiling.

"What? Other than that fucking mick waltzing in?" Gip said through a mouthful of food.

"Other than that. I had a short shift today, being Sunday, and Mr. Alfredson called me in to do my little routine."

"Yeah, I know that little shtick."

"Well, who else but Arnold Rothstein is sitting in Mr. Alfredson's office," Maria paused for emphasis and realized that she had Gip's full attention at this point, so she continued, "So I quickly racked my mind trying to figure out why his name was so familiar. It came to mind after the meeting when he came to my desk and handed me a slip of paper asking me to meet him at a restaurant down the road."

"The fuck did that snake want with you?"

"I'm getting to the point, Gip! So after work I go to the restaurant and there he is, just like he said he would be. I sit down, he orders coffee and we chat idly for a few minutes before he turns the conversation strictly to business. I have yet to agree to the deal but he did give me this," Maria said, placing a one hundred dollar bill on the table. Gip looked intrigued.

"So what was the deal?"

"He wants me to simply tell him when the prices on various real estate investments hit rock bottom so he knows when to invest. He also wants a constant flow of information regarding who's buying, selling, and how many people are considering buying or selling. He said one week of work and I will receive five thousand dollars cash, and then I am to pretend nothing ever happened between us."

"Well, shit. That's some pretty easy cash."

"Yes, but, if I get caught I'd get locked up. I'm not worried about losing my job since I only have a week left anyway, but, five thousand dollars is pretty tempting…"

Maria had been thinking about it all day. She wanted to do it. She just needed to figure out a way to get the information written down discreetly and not get caught. And do this every day for the next week. Perhaps she could write in shorthand? Only a couple other girls in the office could read shorthand.

"I'd do it. And there's nothing wrong with being in Rothstein's good books. This could come back to help me, too." Gip mused, looking out the window.

"How could this possibly help you?" Maria asked, "Are you in business with him? Is that what this is?"

"No, Maria, I shouldn't have said that. Sorry! Fucking Christ!" Gip swore to himself, "I'll tell you before we leave the city okay?"

"Tell me what?"

"Everything! I'll tell you everything. It seems like you're getting involved with this whether you like it or not. Oh, yeah! Now that you remind me! What the hell were you doing at Lindy's with fuckin' shortpants?" Gip's face was turning that deep shade of red again.

"His name is shortpants, now?" Maria asked, laughing at Gip's rage, "Calm down, Gip."

"No, Maria! He's one of Rothstein's men. This makes so much sense now! You can't be getting involved in this. Seeing one of Rothstein's guys, doing business directly with Rothstein…"

"Gip, calm down. I'm not seeing him. And I'm only dealing with Rothstein for the next week, okay? After that we're in Atlantic City, making a new life," Maria said as she got up and tousled Gip's hair and started clearing the table, "You'll see. Everything will turn out perfectly."


	5. Chapter 5

"Mr. Rothstein?"

"Yes?" Arnold gestured to the butler that he could enter the room.

"A Mrs. Ginsberg on the line for you."

Arnold's face lit up in his characteristic, sly smile. He gestured to the butler to exit before picking up the telephone. Holding the receiver to his ear, he cleared his throat silently before speaking.

"Maria, so nice to hear from you."

"Yes, of course. Do you want the information over the telephone?" Arnold smiled at her straightforwardness.

"I happen to have a small office in your neighbourhood. I'll send a car to pick you up."

The line went dead, presumably because Maria had hung up. He chuckled to himself thinking yes, this is why I picked her to do my dirty work.

* * *

Maria hopped into the Packard, guided by the steady hand of the driver. She felt almost insulted that he felt the need to help her into a car that was two feet off the ground.

They drove a mere two blocks before stopping at their destination. She scoffed loudly, seeing as she could've just walked there. The driver quickly ran around to Maria's side of the car before she could barely move an inch and helped her out.

"Unit thirteen," the driver said, pointing to the building.

"What, not going to help me climb the stairs either?" Maria joked, hoping he wouldn't take her seriously and actually come in with her.

She knocked on the door bearing the number thirteen. The three was almost falling off and it bugged her that the numbers didn't line up nicely. She reached up with her gloved hand and adjusted the three before letting go and watching it swing back into a crooked position, the brass scraping against the wood of the door.

The door swung open and revealed Lucky's face.

"What a pleasant surprise," Maria said dryly. Lucky just laughed.

"You could've said that a bit more cheerfully, sugarlumps," Lucky grinned. Maria cringed at the pet name.

"How about you just let me in, I got business with Rothstein," Maria rolled her eyes slightly, trying not to seem too aggravated.

"You? You're the girl from Goldman Sachs?" For the first time Maria saw Lucky without that stupid grin on his face.

"Try to look a little more surprised," Maria laughed before slipping past Lucky and into the room. There she saw A.R. sitting behind a desk and Meyer sitting at the other side of the room at a table, doing God knows what. He had about ten or eleven bags wrapped in paper and he was in the process of tying twine around them in neat little bows and knots.

"Please, sit down, Mrs. Ginsberg," A.R. gestured at the chair opposite the desk.

Maria looked over at Meyer and noticed he hadn't taken his eyes off of her. She gave him a nervous smile and a nod before sitting down.

"So how does this work?" Maria asked, clasping her shaking hands together in her lap.

"Straight to business, is it? Coffee, Charlie," Arnold waved a hand at Lucky and Maria couldn't help but smile slightly at the use of his real name.

Lucky placed coffee cups in front of both Maria and A.R. and filled them up. Seconds later he appeared again with milk. Maria was smirking the whole time, knowing Lucky didn't like playing the part of a servant.

"Tell me about yourself, Maria." Arnold looked at her intently, sipping at his coffee.

"What is there to tell?"

"Where were you born?"

"Italy."

"Italy's a big country."

"It's all relative, isn't it?" Maria heard a small laugh from behind her.

"I suppose it is," Arnold said, leaning back in his chair. He seemed to look at her down his nose. She supposed that's how the rich folk must carry themselves. "So how does an Italian end up with a Jewish last name?"

Maria felt her heart instantly start pounding. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. She couldn't answer that question with Meyer in the room.

"I'd bet you know the answer to that question as well as I do."

"That's a good bet," Arnold said, smiling.

"The only kind I make."

The two looked at each other intently over the desktop, neither of them touching their coffee. Meyer let out a small cough over in the corner. Maria had no idea why Arnold went silent but she wasn't about to question him.

"What kind of information have you brought me?" Arnold asked, to everyone's relief in the room.

"Just the most profitable kind," Maria said pulling a piece of paper out of her bag, "This is a list of properties that have the most clients looking at buying."

"Interesting," Arnold said, looking over the list.

"I'd recommend buying into this, then selling the land in smaller parcels. We have over thirty clients who are, well I'd say, almost one hundred percent sure to buy in this area."

"Hmmm," A.R. hummed as he traced his finger over the list of properties.

"I'd predict that within a couple years these investments will peak. Buying sooner than later will be a very good decision."

"I'm impressed. Thank you, Maria," Arnold smiled, folding the list up neatly and putting it in his waistcoat pocket. He extended his hand and Maria shook it firmly.

"I'll contact you again when I have more information, by the way, you can tell your driver that I'll walk next time," Maria said smiling as she got up to leave.

"I will pass on your pleasantries. But, before you go, I have one more thing for you. Let's call it a bonus, or an advancement if you will."

A.R. reached into the desk and pulled out a small cloth bag and handed it to Maria. It had a zipper on top but she didn't open it. She just nodded at Rothstein and turned on her heel. She glanced quickly at Meyer, and then smiled at Luciano as she slipped out the door.

Once outside the tenement building she took a deep breath and leaned against the brick wall.

"Oh, fuck," Maria said to herself. She waved the driver off and he looked confused for a few moments before hopping in the car and driving away.

Looking down, Maria remembered that she still had Rothstein's 'bonus' in her hands. She opened the bag to see it full of cash. Pulling it out and counting it quickly she found it to contain a thousand dollars.

She smiled to herself and clutched the cash tightly. How easy it was to get this information and how big the payout was! She stuffed the money in the bag and put it into her purse. Gip would not believe it.

* * *

Giuseppe was in Atlantic City. Masseria had sent him early and Maria still had one more meeting with Rothstein. So, here he was, essentially doing a drug deal and all he could think about was his sister.

Joe had sent Gip to essentially oversee the operation. They had a warehouse just outside of town and Gip was to make sure the liquor and heroin both got safely into the trucks, and then, in a timely fashion, sent up to New York.

Gip sat in the warehouse listening to the clanking of cases of liquor being placed in the back of trucks. He wondered if they would ever stoop down to Thompson's level and start watering down their alcohol. Sure, Joe wanted to provide the real thing to the rich and upper class of New York. But how would he react when he found out he could be making up to ten times as much money?

The whiskey and rum was here. Everything on the liquor front was going to plan. The shipment of heroin, however, had yet to show up. Gip took a long drag off of his cigarette before throwing it in the dirt and heading to the small office in the back of the warehouse.

"I'm looking for Arnold Rothstein, in New York," Gip said into the telephone. Waiting for a few more moments, the line connected and he heard another voice, "Arnold Rothstein, please."

"Who's looking for him?" The man on the other end asked, a little too rude for Gip's taste.

"Tell him it's Gip in Atlantic City and he ain't too happy," Gip snarled into the phone. It didn't take long for Rothstein's voice to make an appearance.

"How can I help you, Gip?"

"For starters you could tell me where your dope's at. Your first shipment is late, A.R., is this how you do business?"

"Well, Giuseppe, what do you expect me to do from up here in New York? The tide ebbs and flows, the ocean does what it wants. Shipments are not always on time to the minute."

"Who ya got running the shipment, anyway?" Gip asked, not in a hurry to listen to some more patented Rothstein metaphors and similes.

"Luciano. He's only doing the first shipment, to make sure my guys down there know what they're doing."

"If he's not at the docks, where can I find him?"

"Probably at Gillian Darmody's house." Rothstein laughed quietly, then hung up the phone.

Gip let out one of his characteristic barking laughs and hung up the phone. Of course Luciano would somehow make his way in between the legs of Jimmy's mother. He figured going to the broad's house first would be his best bet.

* * *

Gip arrived at the quaint apartment building about fifteen minutes later. He pulled his coat collar up to his face and made his way across the road.

He threw his cigarette on the sidewalk before entering the building. Looking down at the paper in his hand he read the number '24'. Probably on the second floor. He climbed the stairs and was met with her apartment door. He knocked loudly.

The door opened slightly to reveal Gillian's right eye. When she saw Gip she opened the door up all the way.

"Can I help you?" She said, cocking her hips and batting her eyelashes. Gip laughed.

"I was told I could find a Mr. Luciano at this address," Gip tried to say it without smiling but he failed. He saw Gillian's flirty smile falter slightly.

"Just a moment," she left the door open but walked into the next room.

Gip kindly introduced himself into the house and walked through the kitchen and into the room that Gillian had disappeared into. He rounded the corner and came face to face with a stark naked Luciano.

"What the fuck?" Lucky jumped back, covering his crotch.

"Why don't you put some clothes on and we can sit down and talk about the shipment I've been waiting four fucking hours for?" Gip tried not to raise his voice, he really did. But when he's been sitting in a smelly old warehouse for four hours while Lucky was banging some broad instead of doing his job, well, he can get a little worked up.

Gip sat at the table in the corner while he watched Lucky throw some clothes on. He reached into his coat and pulled out his gun, laying it on the table. Lucky eyed it nervously.

"You got enough clothes on you fucking stronzo, sit down." Gip gestured to the chair opposite him, the chair that his gun just so happened to be pointing at.

"What's the issues?" Luciano asked.

"What fucking day do you think it is? I was told to expect a shipment four hours ago. For four fucking hours I've been sitting in a fucking warehouse that reeks of cow shit!" Gip banged the table for emphasis.

"I'll go to the docks right now, okay? I got a little… how can I say it… carried away," Lucky said, grinning. He looked over at Gillian and winked. The smirk quickly disappeared when Gip slapped him so hard he fell off the chair. Gillian gasped loudly and ran over to help him up.

"You have one hour," Gip said as he stood up, "If you are late, you can be the one who informs A.R. as to how he lost his contract with Masseria."

And with a tip of the hat Lucky had officially become afraid of Gip Rosetti. He didn't know if he would actually kill someone over a shipment being a couple hours late, but he had certainly drawn his gun.

Luciano watched Gip exit the apartment and he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"Holy fuck Gillian, you almost got your bedroom painted with my brains," he said, letting out a small laugh.

Gillian wasn't laughing but instead she was gathering all of Lucky's clothes.

"You need to hurry up, Charles. I've met Gip before and I've heard stories. You got off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist," she said looking up at Lucky with her big blue eyes, "Whatever you do, now is not the time to fuck around."


	6. Chapter 6

For her last meeting with Rothstein, he had asked that she come to his personal apartments on 57th Street, nearly ten miles away from Maria's home.

She entered the lavish apartment building with the assistance of a doorman. She approached the man standing at the opposite end of the room. He looked very official and was dressed like a hotel bellhop so she decided to consult him.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Mr. Rothstein," Maria asked shyly.

"Twentieth floor madame. You can take the stairs or the elevator," he said, gesturing to the metal plated door behind him

"Oh dear," Maria said to herself as she entered the elevator. She had never been in one before and admitted that she was quite nervous.

The sound of the elevator moving up the shaft was a little frightening. It was quite loud and the only thing separating her from the the moving shaft walls around her was a latticework of iron. They reached the sixth floor and Maria just nodded to the man before exiting.

Her knees felt shaky as she stepped out onto solid ground and she let out a girlish laugh, straightening out her dress.

"Excuse me, Miss, can I help you?" A well dressed man questioned her from behind a desk. She realized he had probably been watching her the whole time.

"Um, yes, I have an appointment with Mr. Rothstein."

He looked through his book and then up her again.

"I assume you're Mrs. Ginsberg?" He asked, and she nodded. "Right this way then."

He lead her down the hall and into a large waiting room. The apartment was grand with its lush carpets, various plants and flowers, and large majestic pieces of dark mahogany furniture.

"You can wait here, he will call on you when he's ready," The man gestured to the waiting room that contained a few small benches. And on one of those benches was a certain Mr. Lansky. She decided that this meeting wouldn't be like the last time she saw him. No more nervous looks and smiles. She sat down right beside him.

"Fancy meeting you here," She said, smiling at him. He seemed almost surprised that she was even talking to him.

"So you're married," Meyer said without looking up from his hat that was sitting in his lap.

Maria sighed quietly. So maybe the conversation was just going to be nervous looks and awkward smiles.

"Now you understand why I felt the need to end things," Maria said quieter than normal.

"Why even start things?" Meyer said, a little bit more passionately. He finally looked up from his hat and at Maria. "What kind of person does that?"

She could tell he felt deeply hurt and betrayed, and yet she still felt too embarrassed of her past to explain things to him. She looked down at her lap and fiddled with the strap on her bag. Now was the time, if ever, to tell him. One of them could get called in to see Rothstein at any moment and it was her last meeting.

"For the past two years I've been supporting myself and a drunkard I happen to call my husband. He's not the man I married. He had been missing for two weeks already on the day I met you. He leaves and goes on benders, that's why my brother stays with me most nights. It wasn't until recently I finally got the courage to end things. He's moving to Chicago and I'm going to Atlantic City," Maria said, ending her explanation with a sharp inhale. She said everything so quickly she had forgotten to even breathe. "I hope you don't think any less of me. I apologize for everything."

"I'm sorry Maria I-"

"Mrs. Ginsberg!" A man appeared in the hall, calling for Maria.

"Meet me tonight for dinner? I understand you're leaving soon but I feel it would be best to actually talk about it. Clearly there is a lot more going on than I originally thought."

"Eight o'clock. You can pick me up," Maria said as she walked away. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him.

Entering the office a man took Maria's coat from her hands and hung it up on a coat rack. He was then dismissed by A.R. simply by shooing him with his hand.

"It's a pleasure to see you, Maria," Arnold said, crossing the room and shaking Maria's hand.

"Likewise, A.R.," Maria said diplomatically.

"Please, sit," Arnold said, gesturing at a plush chair at the desk. He sat with his back to a large window that had a view overlooking the city. Maria couldn't help but get lost in the view, gazing at the skyline.

"I've read about your indictment," Maria said, boldly.

"Predicted indictment. There's a big difference. The difference being that I won't actually be indicted." Arnold smiled. His smiled always gave Maria goose bumps.

"Well, assuming you won't be indicted, does it still mean you weren't involved? Seems like it was designed for Abe Attell to take the fall." She grinned slightly. Her poker face wasn't the best, it's probably good that she never gambled. "There's gotta be a reason he's called the 'Little Hebrew' and not 'The Brain'."

"All jokes aside, Mrs. Ginsberg, I am one who knows when to keep their mouth firmly shut on certain issues." His hands came up to rest on the desk, fingers interlaced.

"All jokes aside, A.R., you could easily send me to jail just by possessing this," Maria said as she placed a manila envelope on his desk, "Fraud, insider information, conspiracy, whatever title you want to put on my sentence."

Rothstein's hands made no move to grab the envelope. It looked like it contained quite a bit of paperwork but he was going to wait.

"If you're trying to convince me to tell you about my indictment then it's not really working that well, Maria."

"Predicted indictment," Maria corrected, taking all of her strength not to laugh or smile in the slightest.

"Yes, predicted," Rothstein said, letting out a small laugh. They settled into an easy silence, but Maria was not in the mood for that.

"This being our last meeting I expected at least a glass of champagne."

"Ah, yes, but I'm hoping it won't be the last of our meetings," Rothstein's firmly interlocked hands finally parted to rest one on his knee and the other to prop up his chin as he lazed in his chair.

"What do you have planned?"  
"As much as I've enjoyed your company, your moving to Atlantic City is inevitable. I've talked to your brother recently and he does seem a bit stressed," He said, fixing his eyes intently on Maria's face to gauge her reaction, of which there was none, "But, there is something you can do for me. I have a contact in Atlantic City, Nucky Thompson."

"Nucky?"

"Short for Enoch."

"Oh."

"I buy my liquor off of him. I trust him and his men to an extent, but, you know how it is. I want you to work your magic and supply me with information about him and his associates. Let's say on a monthly basis, maybe biweekly."

"Would that mean travelling to New York every month?"

"Most months, yes. It will all be covered, trust me. I do my fair share of visits to A.C. so there will obviously be exceptions. Pay will be on par with our past dealings."

"Well then, I accept." Maria smiled and stood up, extending her hand.

"Pleasure doing business with you Mrs. Ginsberg," Arnold said, shaking her hand firmly. He sat down and opened a drawer, pulling out an envelope, "And this is for you. As promised."

Maria tucked it into her bag without looking at the contents. She didn't feel it would professional to do so in front of A.R., considering she would look like a child on Christmas morning. Maria rose from her chair.

"I'll contact you when I feel it's necessary. I trust you'll find all the information in the envelope self-explanatory. Until next time, A.R."

"Have yourself a good evening, Maria," Arnold said, standing up as she left the room. He sighed as he sat down again after the door shut behind her. Opening the large envelope, he pulled out the stack of papers and got to work.

* * *

Maria sat at her small table in her tenement, smoking a cigarette. She took a long drag, inhaling deeply and closing her eyes as she basked in the head rush. She didn't smoke very often so when she did, she felt almost drunk.

"What are you smiling about?" Meyer asked from across the table. He smoked his cigarettes quickly, like he'd been smoking them since before he had his bar mitzvah. She could just picture a little Meyer, even shorter than he is now, walking around the Lower East Side with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Acting like he thought it made him look cool, manly. Now it was just habit.

"There's just so much to think about and not a lot to say," Maria said, peering at Meyer through the smoke from her last puff. She grinned again.

"I wish you'd tell me."

"There's a lot of unsaid things. Take my brother, for instance. He said he'd tell me everything about his life before we left the city. Now all of a sudden he's gotta be in Atlantic City a few days early and he runs off like a bat out of hell without saying a word. Sometimes I think he isn't ever gonna tell me," Maria looked up at him and laughed, "Well, there you go. That's me wearing my heart on my sleeve."

"What's your brother got to hide?" Meyer asked, interested in this brother she had mentioned in passing a few times in the past weeks.

"Oh, Giuseppe has his secrets just like anybody else. I just think, as his sister, I have a right to know at least what he does for a living," Maria said, rubbing her forehead.

Meyer didn't know if it was just because Maria had had a few drinks with dinner but he realized that perhaps these weren't the kind of details she wouldn't have normally shared with him. He was only on his third drink and was still fairly level-headed and the pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together.

"You're right, it is a strange thing to keep from someone. Especially family. But perhaps, considering the nature of his business, he is trying to protect you?"

"That's exactly what he's doing and I can see right through him. I'm not stupid. If I were a dumb Dora do you think Rothstein would be trusting me with anything?" Maria scoffed and took another drink. "Cheers to Atlantic City."

Their glasses clinked together and Meyer drank deeply. They were drinking from a bottle of Canadian Club, lifted by Meyer from one of Rothstein's stashes.

"You were in there with Rothstein for quite a while today," Meyer observed. Astutely. Not like he had already been waiting in the hall for thirty minutes before Maria had even arrived.

"He likes to chat. I'd prefer to just give him the envelope and walk out," Maria rolled her eyes, "Hopefully our upcoming business venture won't be so social."

"Upcoming business?" Meyer asked, suddenly feeling a little jealous. He was under the impression that Maria was involved in a one time deal.

"Perhaps I should stop drinking," Maria laughed, draining her cup then putting it down on the table with a loud thud.

"Perhaps you should lay down," Meyer suggested, laughing.

"Sounds like a great idea!" Maria got up, holding the table for support. She crossed the kitchen and nearly fell, if it weren't for Meyer grabbing her by the waist.

"How many times do you have to fall before I'm not there to catch you?"

"Remember the first time?" Maria asked, laughing.

"How could I forget?"

"You were so embarrassed. Woah!"

Meyer picked Maria up and put her over his shoulder. He could hear her giggling loudly and she started hitting his back.

"Put me down!"

"If you say so, madame!"

He threw her onto the bed and she bounced a few times, laughing like she was a little girl again. He watched her pull the covers up over herself and cuddle into the pillows.

"Come lay down," She said in a tiny voice.

"What?"

"Just lay down for a few minutes, until I fall asleep."

Meyer looked down at her, all tucked into bed. He took off his jacket and vest. He grabbed his belt and raised his eyebrows, Maria nodded giving him permission. So there he was, stripped down to his underpants and undershirt. He started laughing as he crawled under the covers.

"Now I get to ask you why you're smiling," Maria said as she cuddled into him, putting her arm over his stomach.

"Can't a guy smile when he's laying in bed with a pretty girl?"

"I'll allow it."

The combination of a warm bed and too much alcohol quickly began to make Maria's eyelids start drooping. She looked up at Meyer and saw his eyes closed and a small smile still on his face. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat and steady breathing.


	7. Chapter 7

Maria was on a train.

Meyer had left that morning without saying goodbye.

She knew he had no idea that she was catching her train at noon. He had been gone when she woke up and he had left a note on her bedside table. It had read "Business - sorry had to run". In return she posted a note on the outside of her door that read "Atlantic City - sorry had to run".

Maria hope it didn't come off as bitter. She meant it only as a joke. Besides, she'd be back in New York before she knew it, visiting the offices of Rothstein. She was bound to run into him sometime. It is a small world, after all.

* * *

"Torrio's coming down to A.C.," said Gino, one of the warehouse men.

"Yeah?" Gip's ears perked up a bit.

"Yeah, that's all I know, though. Guess it don't involve us if you don't know about it." Gino didn't look up from the small piece of wood he was carving with a pocket knife. Looked like he was making some sort of miniature of a horse.

"Yeah, it don't involve us." Gip got up from his desk and left the building, lighting a cigarette on his way out.

If Johnny Torrio's coming all the way to Atlantic City then something was definitely happening. And if something was happening, Gip wanted to know about it.

He stood outside the warehouse, leaning uncomfortably against the brick facade. There was a shipment due in the next couple of hours carrying heroin. And Thompson's shipment was right on time as always, with the liquor.

"Darmody!" Gip yelled out. He gestured for Jimmy to hop out.

"What's up, Gip?"

"Come on, come sit in my office," Gip said, walking back into the warehouse. Gino was still sitting in the corner. "Get the fuck out and start unloading trucks!"

"Okay! Jesus!"

"I didn't ask you to speak, Gino. Get the fuck out!"

Gino scrambled out of the room leaving his wood carving on the desk. Jimmy took a seat and picked up the small horse, looking at it closely.

"The detail in this is actually really good," Jimmy observed, running his fingers over the rough wood.

"Keep it. For your boy. Might want to sand it a bit, though."

"Thanks," Jimmy said, lighting a smoke, "So?"

"No small talk, eh Darmody? Am I a common whore?"

"More like the other way around. I'm the one giving you the goods."

"Nucky's giving me the goods. You calling Nucky a slut?" Gip did his best serious face.

"Come on, Gip."

The two men stared at each other over the desk. Gip looking genuinely mad, and Jimmy looking confused. Gip let the silence go for an uncomfortable amount of time before he smirked, and started laughing. Jimmy laughed nervously, lighting another cigarette.

"The fuck's Torrio doing in A.C?"

"He ain't here yet," Jimmy said, looking out the office window and watching the trucks being unloaded.

"You don't look at people when you speak to them? Your mother teach you any manners?"

"Look, Gip, all I know is that he's mediating something between Nucky and Rothstein. He ain't coming down for a few days yet."

"Alright, see? Wasn't that hard." Gip leaned back in his chair and took a drag from his cigarette. "I just like to know what's going on, you know? I'm new in this city. I need to get settled in."

"Well, I hear from my mother that you're doing a pretty good job of it."

"I wasn't visiting Gillian. It was that Luciano prick." Gip spat on the floor. "Stupid fucker. Tried getting involved with my sister."

Gip could tell Jimmy shared his distaste.

"He's gonna get what's coming to him, that's all I gotta say."

"You just gonna sit here and let him fuck your mother like a common broad? Or is there something that I'm missing?"

"My mother can do whatever the hell she wants, she ain't a common broad, Gip. You know that." Jimmy's chair squeaked against the wooden floorboards as he stood up. "I'm gonna go help the guys unload."

"See ya Jimmy. Good chat." Gip laughed and looked down at the table. "Forgot your horse, Darmody!"

Gip tossed the small wooden carving across the room. Jimmy caught it and smirked, placing it in his coat pocket.

* * *

"Giuseppe! Never have I seen a more beautiful sight!" Maria jumped up into Gip's arms as he spun her around. She'd never seen him smile so much.

"Ah, Maria! It's been a very busy few days without you," Gip said, placing her back down on the ground. He grabbed her bags for her and started walking out of the station.

"Anything you can share?" Maria asked, winking at her brother.

"Let's just say it isn't exactly easy starting up a business from the ground up. And making connections in a new city. But, like everything else, it takes time. You know that better than I do, sister."

"Are we going to speak in riddles now, Gip? What's gotten into you?" Maria let out a small, nervous laugh.

"Honestly, I'm feeling a little overworked. I spend all day at the warehouse doing inventory, looking at ledgers and dealing with fucking knuckleheads who can't use a watch. Or a calendar, at that." Gip seemed to release some anger when throwing Maria's luggage into the back of his car.

"Careful, Gip, Jesus!"

Maria got no response, just that look that Gip gets when he isn't happy. One eyebrow raised and no smile on his face is never a good omen. He opened the door for her and she hopped into the car.

"I got us a nice little place, Maria. You're gonna love it. Three bedrooms, right on the beach." Gip smiled and looked over at her.

"What do we need three bedrooms for?"

"I don't know, for fucks sake! Guests? Who gives a shit?" Gip scoffed and focussed on the road ahead of them. Maria shifted in her seat.

"Any job opportunities for me come up? Or shall I start my search?"

"I still gotta ask around for you. I'm sure Nucky could put you up someplace, he owns a chunk of pretty much every business in town. Next time I see him I'll ask him a favour, or you could go play up some sob story and ask him yourself, maybe. He's got offices in the Ritz on the boardwalk."

"Well, it's not like I have anything else to do," Maria said, trying to be nonchalant. This was the perfect opportunity. A private audience with Nucky would be a great start. If she played the right cards she might be able to get some interesting pieces of information out of him.

"I think it would be good for you. Go for a walk downtown, take in the sights. Get your bearings a bit, you know?"

"It does seem like a quite a nice area," Maria said, gazing out the window at the houses passing by.

"Here's our place just up here," Gip said, pointing up the road to a blue painted house. It was quite large with a covered deck going all the way around the house to the back, overlooking the beach. The grass was sparse and the ground was sandy, and Maria loved every detail about it.

"Oh, Gip!" Maria gushed, getting out of the car. Their new home couldn't have been more different than their tenement lifestyle in New York. "I knew you'd be able to help us out of the slums one day, Gip!"

"You're gonna make me blush. Go inside! Check it out, I'll grab your junk."

Maria walked in the front door of the house and was greeted with a huge kitchen. walking towards the back of the house there was a dining room and a sitting room with a huge fireplace. She was just excited to have more than two rooms, let alone a house with two floors!

She raced upstairs and came to the landing. There was four doors, one leading to a bathroom and the rest to the bedrooms. One bedroom was bare except for a desk and the other looked well lived in. Maria deduced which room was to be hers and opened the door.

A smile broke across her face. a small vanity table was in the corner, beside a large desk which was stocked with paper, notebooks, pens and pencils. She hopped on the bed and found an envelope full of money. She looked up to see Gip standing in the doorway.

"I figured I should give you some spending money. You could walk the boardwalk, maybe buy yourself some new dresses, whatever's in fashion."

And for the first time in a long time, Gip saw Maria genuinely happy.

* * *

Johnny Torrio stepped off the train in Atlantic City with two of the Capone brothers in tow. Frank had recently moved out to Chicago and Torrio wanted to see what he was made of. He got a good feeling from Frank, he wasn't much like Al at all. In fact, he didn't seem to inherit the same temperament that Al had.

The three Italian men were greeted at the station by none other than Nucky Thompson and Jimmy Darmody.

"Nucky! Always a pleasure to see you," Johnny said, shaking his hand, "I hope little Emily is feeling better. Poor girl."

"She can stand on her own now, Doc says the Polio shouldn't have any lasting effects on her mobility. But, on a brighter note, welcome to Atlantic City, boys!"

Nucky and Torrio settled into their own conversation while Jimmy fell into stride with Al.

"Jimmy, this here's my brother Frank. Frank this is Jimmy, you know, the guy I told you about," Al said, cackling loudly and smacking Jimmy on the back.

"Oh, yes. I heard all about you. Left Chicago just before I came out."

"I hope you heard nothing but good things, then," Jimmy chuckled, lighting a cigarette.

"He heard about the time I pretended to shoot you and scared the shit outta you and Pearl! Scared you more than her!" Al was laughing again, this time slapping his leg.

"Yeah," Jimmy said, hoping the subject would change.

"So what's there to do in Atlantic City?" Frank asked, noticing Jimmy get uncomfortable at the mention of Pearl, whoever that was.

"What Frank means to say is, where's the whores at?" Al cut in. Frank just chuckled.

"More like whiskey and card games, but close enough, Al."

"Angela's making dinner tonight if you guys want something homecooked. We just moved into our new place," Jimmy said, smiling with pride.

"Yeah, that could work." Al shrugged. He winked at Jimmy. "I'll try not to make any passes at your girl!"

* * *

"That was a lovely dinner, Mrs. Darmody," Frank said, sitting at the table and sipping at his coffee.

"Oh, just call me Angela. Mrs. Darmody makes me feel so old," She blushed, adjusting her hair.

Frank peered over into the sitting room and saw Al sitting on the floor with Tommy. They were playing with a toy truck.

"My truck goes the fastest!" Tommy said, getting up and pushing the truck around in circles.

"Yeah? Well my airplane goes faster!" Al said, picking Tommy up and swinging him in circles. Tommy held his arms out and pretended to be an airplane. Frank chuckled, but saw in that instant how unhappy Al was.

"Do you have a family back home, in Chicago?" Angela asked, snapping Frank out of his daydream.

"No. Al always called me the eternal bachelor."

"Well there's nothing wrong with that, going city to city and breaking girls hearts," Angela laughed before getting up and gathering plates from the table.

"It's okay Angela, I can grab that," Frank said, placing his hand over hers to stop her.

"It's fine Frank, I feel bad. Jimmy's been in there washing for ten minutes already"

Frank took his hand off hers and nodded. She cleared the dishes and disappeared into the kitchen where Jimmy was working away. Lighting a cigarette, Frank crossed the room to stand in the doorway and watch Al play with Tommy.

"Watcha starin' at Frank?" Al challenged.

"Just your ugly mug, Snork," Frank said as he took a drag from his cigarette. He smirked, knowing that Al was about to explode.

"You better put out that cigarette."

"Or what?"

"Put it out, Frank!" Al said, trying to sound menacing but there was a hint of playfulness.

Frank walked over to an ash tray sitting on the table and careful put out his cigarette, not once breaking eye contact with Al.

"Let's get him, Tommy!" Al yelled, charging at Frank and tackling him to the ground. The three boys wrestled on the carpet in the living room, laughter filling the house. "Jump on his back, Tom!"

"I got you, Frank!" Tommy yelled, crawling onto Frank's back and holding onto his shoulders. "Yeehaw!"

"You got me kid! You got me! I surrender!" Frank rolled over with his hands up in the air, out of breath. "It was an ambush, I didn't stand a chance."

Al got up and smirked at him, running a hand through his hair. Tommy went running away into the kitchen, babbling on about chocolate or some sort of sweet. Reaching down, Al grabbed Franks hand and helped him to his feet.

"You see what just happened tonight, Frank?" Al asked, seriously.

"What, Al?"

"This is what it's like to have everything."


	8. Chapter 8

Maria was sitting on the couch by the window, reading a book with a cup of coffee in her hand. The window was open and a cool breeze was entering the room, washing her face with the smell of the sea.

She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the waves relentlessly beating the shore. She used to sit like this, as a child, down by the beach near their small village in Italy. Giuseppe used to tell her that one day he would buy their family a house by the ocean so she would never be far from the waves.

"Ria!" Giuseppe yelled as he came through the front door, his voice echoing through the house.

"Over here," Maria called out.

"We're going out tonight," Gip said as he walked into the living room and sitting opposite Maria. "You bought some nice dresses, right?"

"Yeah, of course. I went to that La Belle Femme in the Ritz. It was very pricy so I only ended up buying one dress… but how beautiful it is! And they had someone to dress me, all I had to do was stand there and look in a mirror. It was very strange."

"Well, it's Nucky Thompson's birthday and he was kind enough to extend an invitation to me. I want you to be my date," Gip said, smirking slightly.

"Are you sure? What, kind find a girl dumb enough to go with you?"

"It's just that there's going to be a lot of, how should I say, prominent figures there and I can trust you to act accordingly. Rothstein should be making an appearance and I believe you two might have some catching up to do," Gip winked and leaned back in his chair, taking a sip out of Maria's coffee.

"You're disgusting. He's married, you know," Maria got up and flicked Gip in the forehead and grabbed the cup from him, "But maybe it would be nice to go out for once. And maybe I will meet some other girls, I'm getting pretty bored without friends."

"Are you gonna talk to Thompson about finding a job? It's been a couple weeks," Gip said, following Maria into the kitchen.

"I'll drop some hints tonight if I get a chance to talk to him, but I'm not going to ask any favours. Especially on his birthday. The trick is, Gip, to plant the idea in their head and make them think it's their own."

"Manipulative, Maria."

"It's just one way of getting what I want," Maria said as she washed out her dishes in the sink, "And I never have to explicitly ask for anything."

"So you accept the invitation? I've heard only good things about Babette's. I think you'll love it, sis."

"Fine, Giuseppe. I'm going. But I'm not staying out late."

"You only call me Giuseppe when you're unhappy." Gip laughed, hoping she would laugh along with him.

"Is this a work function?" Maria asked and seeing Giuseppe's confused face she quickly corrected herself, "Is there going to be a lot of people from your business?"

"Maria, you're going to make me talk about it now?" Gip sounded exasperated. "Well, sit down then."

"I'm not stupid, Gip. I just want to hear you say it." Maria sat down, folding the dish cloth in her hands. It was slightly damp from drying the dishes.

"It's just that if anything went wrong I wouldn't want you to be able to testify." Gip looked down at his hands.

"You think I would testify against you? You would have to do something very bad. Something so against my morals that I would disown you as a brother!"

Gip said nothing, just looked up Maria. His face was serious, and she knew exactly what he was trying to convey with that look.

"How bad is it?"

"Maria, it's just, you know how I get when I'm stressed out. And the way I am around you isn't the way I am at work. I have a reputation to maintain and I need my men to respect me!"

"Your men?"

"My men."

"What exactly do you do? Bootlegging? Card rooms? Numbers rackets?" The dish cloth was forgotten and had been thrown on the floor.

"We came to Atlantic City so I could run a warehouse for Masseria. They need me here because we're transporting some of Rothstein's goods. His goods are very valuable, Maria. One small package is worth a fortune. I'm the only one Joe trusted."

Maria inhaled slowly, thinking carefully about what she should say next.

"Have you killed anyone?"

"Maria…"

"Have you?"

"I've done what I've needed to do. Look where we are, Maria. We've come a long way from Sicily. This is the only way I knew how to do it, god damnit!" Gip's fist came down on the table causing Maria to jump.

She went silent and just looked at her brother; his hair was pointing out at all angles and his eyes were wide and veins popped out of his forehead. She remembered what Rothstein had said about Gip being stressed lately and now she was watching him act like another man. She felt like she didn't recognize him.

"You're right," Maria said, getting up from the table. She picked up the dish cloth and folded it up again, "I won't pry again."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I understand, Gip. Now isn't a good time to tell me, anyway. I'm sure there will come a time where it will catch up to us and when that time comes I want you to tell me the truth. I won't judge, I've done some bad things, too. Perhaps what I've done for Rothstein doesn't seem that bad for you but I'm still committing a crime and the payout is big enough for me to consider doing more. How does that feeling not terrify you?"

"It does. It makes me question myself every day. It's up to you to decide how much sin you can live with."

* * *

They arrived at the party where Gip was greeted by numerous amounts of enthusiastic people who yelled things such as, "Gip! Glad you could make it!" or "Holy shit if it isn't Gip Rosetti!". All the while Maria stood beside him awkwardly watching him hug and clap people on the back.

After about the fourth encounter Maria decided that she should probably start drinking. She grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray, downing it in one swig, then placing it on another waiter's tray.

"Slow down turbo, we just got here!" Gip laughed loudly, reaching up to mess up her hair. She dodged out of the way and grabbed his wrist.

"Don't do that, Gip! Do you have any idea how long it took me to do my hair? We aren't children anymore."

Maria walked away from Gip and headed for the bar. Behind the bar was a large steamboat wheel and a banner that read "Happy Birthday Nucky!"

"Rye! On the rocks," Maria yelled out at the bartender. The music was quite loud. All she needed was a couple more drinks and she would loosen up, then she could return to Gip.

"What kind of man lets a girl like you get her own drinks?" A voice appeared over her shoulder. Maria looked up to see a tall man with dark features.

"The kind that drags his sister to a party because he doesn't possess the ability to find a broad dumb enough to associate with him," Maria said bitterly. The man laughed loudly, much to her amusement.

"Who's this brother of yours?" The man leaned against the bar, drink in hand. He took a sip while looking at her expectantly.

"Who's asking?" She smirked. Her drink came and the bartender waved her off when she tried to pass him some money.

"Frank. Capone. You know Nucky's paying for everything tonight," Frank gestured to the money in her hand.

"Well I'd have to be acquainted with Nucky to know that, wouldn't I?"

"You seem to be acquainted with Arnold Rothstein, and I'd say he's a lot more important than Mr. Thompson."

"And how would you come to know that?" Maria felt a slight bit of panic rise up.

"He doesn't seem to be very happy that I'm talking to you," Frank said, looking over his shoulder at a table where Rothstein was sitting with Luciano and two other men.

"I'm sure he'll live. If not then I'd attend his funeral, I'm sure it would be a grand party." Frank chuckled.

"What is your name?"

"Maria Ginsberg," Maria responded, put off by his sudden question.

"Italian or Jew?"  
"Does it matter?"

"To some people it does." Frank looked at her over the brim of his glass as he drank deeply.

"Well, those people are going to have to wait for their answer as it seems like I am needed elsewhere," Maria said, nodding towards Rothstein who had just gestured for her to come to his table. "If you'd excuse me."

Maria slipped by Frank, astounded at her own boldness when talking to a fairly attractive man. She finished off her drink as she was walking towards Rothstein's table.

"Maria! So nice to see you here!" Rothstein smiled, getting up to greet her.

"Is it, though?" Maria laughed and sat down. Rothstein chuckled. She could tell he always enjoyed her standoffishness, which she found strange. She had only acted that way because of nervousness the first day that she met him, and he seemed to take a shine to her.

"Gentleman this is my acquaintance Maria Ginsberg. Maria, I believe you've met Charlie, and this is Nucky Thompson, Lucy Danziger, and John Torrio."

"Did you see me jump out of the cake for Nucky?" Lucy asked, her voice sounding slightly nasally. Rothstein gestured for a waiter to fill Maria's glass with wine.

"No, I've only arrived recently. I'm sure it was quite a spectacle, though. Terrible thing to have missed." Maria quickly took a drink from her wine to conceal her smirk.

"You can rest assured it was a spectacle," Nucky joked. He wasn't the most handsome man, and she figured a man like him could only get a girl like Lucy by possessing a large amount of money and charisma.

"Do you like it when I put a spectacle on for you, Nucky?" Lucy asked, and A.R. visibly cringed.

"Does your brother happen to be here?" A.R. asked quietly, like he only wanted Maria to hear. Or perhaps he was trying to avoid looking at Lucy, who was now giving Nucky an extremely prolonged kiss.

"He should be here somewhere. I lost him in the crowd."

The man Rothstein introduced as John Torrio struck up a conversation with Nucky, laughing so loud Maria almost couldn't hear A.R.

"Well, if you could let him know that I'd like to have a few words with him before I return to New York, that would be greatly appreciated," Rothstein said, leaning in.

"If I happen to find him before you do then I will gladly pass it on," Maria said as she got up from her chair, "Perhaps I should go find him right now."

"Always a pleasure seeing you, Maria."

"What, not even gonna say hello?" Lucky asked, throwing his hands up, "I'm not just a piece of meat, you know. I'm good for more than just looking at."

"Don't flatter yourself, Charlie. Pass on my regards to Meyer."

Maria walked away from the table, glad to be rid of them. She didn't like being in the presence of such powerful men. She couldn't trust them. Though she did all she could to try and remain calm and stoic, she was shaking like a leaf. Taking a drink of her wine she walked towards a door labeled 'Exit', hoping to find some fresh air on the other side.

* * *

"Gip, you motherfucker!" Al yelled, coming up behind Giuseppe and grabbing him by the shoulders, "The fuck you doing here? Is Masseria here, too?"

"Al! Holy shit!" Gip turned around, completely disregarding the young blonde he was talking to and pulled Al in for a hug. "You didn't hear? I live here now."

"You greaseball! I'm down for a few more days, you gotta show me where to have a good time in this shithole."

Al and Gip had shared many a drink before Al had gone out to Chicago. They first met when Torrio had negotiations with Masseria back in '17 and both Al and Gip were just starting out in the business.

"I know a few good places to go. If youse looking for broads there's a place just down the road from here, actually."

"How'd you know I was looking for broads?"

"I know you too well, Al." Gip laughed, slapping the shorter man lightly on the cheek.

"You wanna know who's here? Fucking Frank! Old Ralphy stayed up in Chicago but you guys weren't really friends anyway."

"Frank's here?" Gip asked. He hadn't seen Frank in years. They went to school together when Gip had immigrated from Sicily over ten years ago.

"Yeah he should be around, I saw him talking to some broad at the bar. I saw her reject him then go sit at Rothstein's table. Ha! He ain't gonna be hearing the end of that one. Fucking Rothstein scores a broad that Frank's wheeling. Fucking classic!" Al threw his head back laughing his distinctive cackle.

"Frank lost out to Rothstein? He's always been a ladies man. He lost his touch or what?" Gip chuckled to himself as he took a swig from his drink.

Gip spotted Luciano making his way over and immediately his mood changed. Al looked over and saw who Gip was glaring at.

"Who the fuck's that?"

"Giuseppe." Lucky said as he approached the two men.

"How's your night going Salvatore?" Gip was trying to ruffle a few feathers, and it seemed like it was working.

"Just excellent. A.R. wants to have a word with you before the end of the night. He told your sister but she seemed a little preoccupied with someone else," Lucky grinned, knowing he was doing a little bit more damage to Gip with that comment.

"The fuck you going on about, Luciano?"

"I'm just saying, she looked like she was gonna be a little too busy tonight to pass on the message." Lucky had his hands in his pockets and spoke so casually about Maria that Giuseppe could feel a fit of rage coming on. All he wanted to in that moment was grab Lucky by the hair and slam his head into a table.

"I thought she had a thing with shortpants?" Gip was trying very hard to be civil.

"Meyer? No that seemed a little one sided to me. He's probably writing about her in his diary right now," Lucky chuckled and Gip made a move to punch him but Al held him back.

"I know I'm not normally the reasonable one but I don't think Nucky's birthday party is the best place to have a brawl," Al spoke calmly, but his hands gripped Gip's arms so tightly he felt like he'd definitely have a few bruises in the morning.

"Well why don't we take this outside, Salvatore?"

* * *

Maria went through the door and out into the alleyway. She breathed deeply before leaning against the brick wall and pulling a cigarette out of her purse.

She inhaled a long drag and reveled in the nicotine high as it hit her. Her hand was still shaking slightly but she felt a little more relaxed. The salty air coming off of the ocean rejuvenated her senses and she just tilted her head back and closed her eyes.

She had no idea how she was going to go through with her deal with A.R. She felt intimidated just being near Nucky. She felt ashamed to admit that the money was so important to her that going to Rothstein and refusing the job was not an option.

Perhaps if she could just devise a plan of some sort. Maybe sit down one afternoon and think of what kind of approach she should take. Figure out what kind of questions would be subtle yet prove to have revealing answers. Maybe she should hang out on the boardwalk and stake out the Ritz, like they did in the detective books. She had no idea if she had the ability to follow someone around unnoticed. Just thinking about the task at hand made her feel jittery.

"Fancy meeting you out here."

Maria turned her head and saw Frank standing there lighting a cigarette. The only light in the alley was far behind him and his face was just a shadow, his features only slightly illuminated by the cigarette dangling from his lips. Maria didn't speak, just shrugged.

"You know, young ladies like you probably shouldn't be hanging out in alleyways by themselves," Frank said.

"Do you plan on murdering me?" Maria asked, lifting the cigarette up to her lips.

"Quite the opposite." Frank raised one eyebrow and gave Maria the tiniest smirk.

Just as Frank opened his mouth to say something else, the door came flying open behind him and the man being tossed out was none other than Charlie Luciano.


	9. Chapter 9

Maria was quite sure that Gip didn't see her standing there behind Frank, because the first thing he said was, "Holy shit, Frank Capone! Come here!"

He pulled Frank in for a friendly hug before his eyes laid upon Maria, who happened to have a smoke dangling from her fingers. He, and their parents, had always told her that smoking in public wasn't ladylike. Being alone in an alleyway with a man at nearly midnight probably wasn't too ladylike either.

"What are you doing out here, Maria?" Gip was being calm. That was good. He seemed to have already gotten his anger out on Luciano, who was currently being held against the wall by another man. Or perhaps Gip had yet to put two and two together and hadn't realized that prior to him throwing Lucky out of the door, Frank and Maria had been alone.

"You two know each other?" Frank asked, now looking confused.

"I just came out for some air," Maria said, meekly.

"That's my fucking sister!" So there was the anger that Maria was expecting. She understood, Gip had been drinking heavily. It took a few seconds for the gears to start turning and now he was fuming.

The short man who was holding Lucky in place started cackling uncontrollably. Lucky seemed to join in as well. Frank just stood there balking at Gip.

"I had no idea, Gip."

"What, do you always hang out in alleyways with girls? That ain't no way to treat a broad unless you think she's some common whore. That's my sister, you ain't got no right!"

Gip was now holding Frank by the lapels and pushing him against the brick wall. As he yelled, spit flew out of his mouth and onto Frank's face.

"Gip! Stop!" Maria ran over, pulling on the back of Giuseppe's jacket.

"This is quite dramatic, isn't it?" Lucky smirked, looking down at Al. Being Al, he couldn't help himself but laugh loudly.

"Ah, fuck. You're alright. Gip will get to your ass later," Al said, releasing Lucky from his grip and tapping him on the chest, "I think you're alright. Not sure what happened between you two."

"Gip, Jesus, I didn't do anything!" Frank yelled, trying to push Gip off of him. Thankfully Al ran over and grabbed Gip by the shoulders, pulling him off his brother.

"If you're gonna fight then throw a fucking punch! If not, let's fucking end this!" Al yelled, struggling to hold Gip back.

Frank dusted his jacket off and looked at Gip, his eyes full of understanding. He smelled the alcohol on the man's breath, and not minutes before he was throwing some unlucky kid out the door and getting ready to dish out a beating.

"I get it, Gip, it looks bad. How about we go inside and have a drink? Or you can give this kid over here the beating he was supposed to get." Frank said, gesturing over towards Lucky with his cigarette.

"I'd have half a mind to do either of those, Frank." Gip glared at Luciano.

"Get your ass inside, kid, before you get your fucking skull caved in," Al pushed Lucky in the door, his barking laugh echoing off the narrow brick walls of the alleyway.

Maria still stood behind the three men, her cigarette long forgotten and tossed onto the ground. The cherry still burned low, the ember illuminating a small radius of dusty asphalt. She quickly scanned the alley, trying to figure out a way to slip away without being noticed by her fuming brother.

"Maria." Gip said, as he saw her shadowed figure start moving away from them.

"Gip."

"I'm gonna have to take you home now. We're gonna talk about this." Gip moved to grab her arm but she flinched, pulling it away and cradling it to her chest like a child.

"No, Gip! I'm going back inside. Maybe you should go home and sleep it off."

Gip looked at her silently and after a few moments, she made her move. She walked past him, brushing his shoulder slightly.

"You coming in or not?" Maria said to Frank as she passed him, not waiting for him to answer. The three men watched her silently as she slipped through the door.

Frank threw his cigarette on the ground and shrugged at Gip.

"Perhaps you should sleep this one off, pal. I'll come by in the morning." Frank turned and went inside, leaving Al and Gip alone in the alleyway. He trusted Al to get Gip home. He may be a bit of a hothead, but in situations like these he almost always did the right thing.

Frank spotted Maria at the other end of Babette's, making a beeline for the bar. He caught up to her right before she was about to order her drink.

"What can I get for you?" The bartender asked.

"The lady will have a glass of champagne and I myself will have your finest rye on the rocks," Frank said, cutting in. He leaned against the bar. "So your little Giuseppe's sister?"

"I wouldn't exactly call him little," Maria smirked, adrenaline still pumping from their previous encounter.

"He was little when I met him. Just a scrawny little boy from the lower east," Frank said, nodding at the bartender as they were served their drinks. Maria daintily took a sip of her champagne.

"Champagne is usually reserved for special occasions. What's so special about tonight?"

"Other than Nucky's birthday?" Frank grinned.

"Other than Nucky's birthday. I'm not too well acquainted with him."

"How about new friendships?"

"If you can call it that," Maria said, laughing as she clinked her glass against Frank's. She could feel the heat in her cheeks that came with getting a little too drunk.

"Every good relationship starts with a bang," Frank laughed when he saw Maria's cheeks flushing red, "In this case, the bang was almost your brother's fist connecting with my face."

Maria had no retort, so she tilted her glass and finished her drink to avoid having to reply to his suggestive comment. Frank copied her.

"How about we go to the boardwalk this time for some air? Perhaps that might be a little more acceptable to our dear Giuseppe?"

"You're not really 'getting air' when all you're going to be inhaling is smoke," Maria quipped, but took Frank's offered arm anyway.

As they walked towards the front door, Maria caught Luciano's eye. He gave her a dark look before sipping his drink and turning back to his table.

"Mrs. Ginsberg, leaving so soon?" Arnold Rothstein's voice appeared to her left.

"Just popping out for some air. Arnold, this is Frank Capone. Frank, Arnold Rothstein," Maria introduced the two men, not wanting to be rude.

"I believe we've already met. Pleasure to see you again, Frank," Arnold said, offering his hand to Frank, who hesitated. The moments seemed to pass by slowly, with Arnold's outstretched hand seemingly hanging there for ages.

"Always a pleasure, Rothstein," Frank said, with a touch of bitterness to his tone. He shook Arnold's hand tightly. "I would stay and chat but I promised the lady a walk down the boardwalk."

"Understandable. Have a good evening. Maria," Arnold said, nodding politely.

"What was that about?" Maria asked once they exited the building and the cold ocean air swept over their faces. The abrupt change in temperature made goosebumps pop up all over her skin. Frank's hand on her arm seemed to be the only source of warmth, and she pulled him closer.

"We just happen to know each other. And we just happen to have a very different outlook on life, and business." Frank walked towards the railing and the stopped, looking out on the beach and listening to the waves crashing in.

"That seems to happen a lot in this town."

"Say, how's about we talk about something else? This ain't exactly romantic." Maria could feel the rumbling of his deep chuckle.

"What is romantic nowadays? Oooh, your eyes are like the ocean, I could just drown in them," Maria said sarcastically, looking up at Frank with fake longing.

"My eyes are brown, more like the Hudson River. You'd drown in a river of sewage for me? Now that's what I call romance, Maria," Frank laughed and put his arm around her shoulders. "You cold?"

"Hmm, what gave it away?" Maria said, her teeth now chattering. "Us women don't have the luxury of getting to wear large jackets and pants."

Frank pulled her in close, rubbing her arms with his hands. She brought her arms to his chest and looked up at him, laughing quietly. The breeze blew some of her hair into her face and he tucked her hair behind her ear.

Maria's laughing stopped when his hand didn't leave her face, but instead cupped her cheek. She leaned into the warmth.

Frank leaned in, their lips connecting. Maria's small hands grasped his lapels and pulled him in closer. Moments later they broke apart, gasping.

"Well that's another way to warm up," Maria giggled.

"I'm staying in the Ritz. Come up for a drink."

* * *

Meyer was stuck in New York while Rothstein and Luciano were in Atlantic City for Nucky Thompson's birthday. Meyer knew he wasn't a big enough player in the game to attend such luxurious events, but surely he was more important than Luciano? He was basically Lucky's babysitter at this point. If it weren't for Meyer, Lucky would be dead in a ditch somewhere. Or maybe even floating down the Hudson River and ending up in some fisherman's net.

He sat in his makeshift office, going through the books while Benny sat in the corner doing God knows what and making fucked up noises. Meyer's patience started slowly slipping once Benny began making popping noises with his lips.

His eyes shifted back down to his ledger, going over the numbers. Pen moving deftly, he started adding up the deals for the past week. If anything went wrong it always came down on him, so he was always sure to keep a ledger. Maybe then he'd be able to deflect the blame on someone else.

As his pen scrawled out numbers upon numbers his mind started wandering. He wondered if maybe Lucky had run into Maria yet, or if Maria had already met another man in Atlantic City. His thoughts then shifted to telling himself that he's being a baby, and that there are plenty of girls out there.

How can being shot at, having people wanting to kill him, faze him less than a skinny little Italian girl? There was nothing about her to be afraid of, and yet he still lived in fear of her ending up with someone else. He stopped writing and placed his pen on the desk beside the ledger.

"I'm gonna go get some coffee," Meyer said to Benny as he got up and put his coat on.

"Getting food, too?" Benny looked up from a small notebook he was writing in.

"I'll get you a bacon sandwich, don't worry." Meyer nodded and left the tenement, quickly descending the stairs to the landing.

Their warm weather was quickly coming to an end and Meyer pulled his collar up to cover his ears. The wind was brisk and eager to nip at any concealed skin.

There was a small eatery down the road that he had gone to with Maria once. She swore by their omelettes and made Meyer go there with her for breakfast one morning, not long after they first met. After she left for Atlantic City Meyer found himself going there nearly every day.

He walked in the front door and the young girl behind the counter flashed him a smile. She always seemed excited to see him.

"Good morning, Meyer. Coffee and a bagel, like usual?"

"You know me too well, Francie. I'll get a bacon sandwich as well, if it's not a bother."

"It would be impossible for you to be a bother." Francie gave him another smile before looking down and scrawling his order on a small pad of paper.

"Busy morning?" Meyer asked conversationally.

"Like always. But thank God I've only got fifteen minutes left of my shift." Francie looked up at him through her eyelashes and gave him a smaller, crooked smile. His first thought was that she has probably seen a few too many films. Maybe if she looked like Clara Bow…

"Lucky you."

"Do you have anything planned for the rest of your day?"

"Well, my day is just starting. Not everyone starts work at ungodly hours like you do," Meyer said, chuckling.

"It's nearly eleven! I wish I could sleep in every day."

"Hmm." Meyer agreed. He was anxious for his food to be ready so he could leave.

"Order's up!" Meyer heard someone yell from the back. Francie skittered over and grabbed a small paper bag.

"Listen, Meyer…" Francie began as she started pouring his coffee into a paper cup.

"Yeah?" Meyer said distractedly as he opened the paper bag and inspected its contents.

"Would you get dinner with me sometime?" Francie said bravely, pushing his coffee across the counter towards him. Her face was riddled with anxiety.

"That would be… highly inappropriate." Meyer said, stumbling over his words.

"Oh God, you have a wife don't you? Probably little kids running around at home…" Francie looked at her feet, face beet red with embarrassment.

"Listen, Francie, it's not like that. But I am seeing someone." Meyer picked up his coffee and wished he wasn't so polite, then maybe he would be able to turn on his heel and get out of this situation as soon as possible.

"You must think I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot! I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. She's probably beautiful and successful and doesn't live in a crummy neighbourhood like this," Francie looked up at him, eyes pooling with tears.

"Don't be so hard on yourself Francie. I thought it was very brave of you, and I admire your courage."

"Really?"

"Of course. You're a beautiful young girl and I think you'll go far in life. Just wait it out, you'll see."

"Thanks, Meyer." Francie mumbled, looking down at her feet again. She was probably counting down the seconds until Meyer would leave, so he took it as his cue.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Meyer smiled at her encouragingly before leaving the building as quickly as possible.

Once outside he let out a small laugh. That would be his luck, a young teenage girl hitting on him. That was a first though, he'd never had a girl bluntly ask him out to dinner like that.

He felt bad about lying to the girl, though. Of course he couldn't consider whatever he had with Maria to be a relationship. They hadn't even kissed. Sure, they shared a bed, but Maria was drunk and they were wearing clothes.

Meyer sighed as he started climbing the stairs up to the tenement. How did he manage to always get himself worked up into such a state?

"Did you get me a sandwich?" Benny asked as Meyer came through the door.

"Yeah," Meyer said, throwing the paper bag onto Benny's lap.

"You want the bagel in here?"

"No, you can have it. I'm not hungry."


	10. Chapter 10

Lucky and Arnold drove in silence. Arnold simply folded his hands in his lap, rolled down the window, and let the cool breeze wash over his face. Lucky, on the other hand, was freezing his ass off and was not happy to be driving to the middle of nowhere along the coast of New Jersey.

"Do you know why we're here, Charlie?" Arnold asked, not taking his eyes off of the ocean.

"To settle some differences."

"We're here to cover my ass." Arnold turned his head, looking seriously at Lucky. "I'm using the hit I put on Darmody as leverage."

"Do you think Thompson cares that much about Darmody?"

"I think Nucky cares more about the welfare of his family. He's always had a soft spot for broken things."

"A modern day saint."

"That's the image he's trying to build. Or the reputation he's trying to maintain. Depends on who you're speaking to." Arnold sighed quietly. "Turn here."

The car lurched as Lucky maneuvered it onto a small, sandy side road. There was a car parked up ahead near a small grassy knoll.

"I believe Nucky isn't too excited about the D'Alessio brothers either."

"What do you mean?"

"While he suspects a connection between them and New York, he can't exactly pin it on me. But after having one of them shoot at him and his woman on the boardwalk, I'd imagine those brother from Philadelphia will be part of his terms."

Lucky just shrugged and focussed on the winding sandy road in front of him. The D'Alessio brothers had been his idea. And just as fast as he got them in on the deal they were about to be cut out, losing much more than their business.

"Any other time and I might be upset, Charlie, but in a way this is helping me out."

In the distance they could see a car parked off the side of the road, three men leaning against it with cigarettes in their mouths.

"That it?" Lucky asked, raising his eyebrow. He got a nod in response, and pulled up alongside the other car, coming to a sudden stop. He shrugged at Rothstein, he didn't drive cars that often, okay?

"Leave your sidearm on the seat." Arnold said, letting himself out.

Lucky watched as Arnold approached Johnny Torrio and shook his hand amicably. The two Capone brothers were there, Frank looking a little worse for wear. Lucky took the bags under his eyes indicative as to what may have occurred the night before - when he was seen leaving Babette's with a certain young woman.

"Good to see you Johnny," Lucky said as he approached the group of men.

"Yeah, yeah cut the crap. I ain't here for a family reunion. We got business to settle and I plan on getting this done quick."

Lucky shifted uncomfortably, lifting a cigarette up to his lips. He knew now would not be a good time to lose his temper, yet he felt it bubbling up inside of him all the same.

Rothstein and Torrio began talking so Lucky took the opportunity to chat with the Capones. He had seen Al start chuckling when he recognized him and thought he would be an appreciative audience for a little chat with Frank.

"Gip didn't end up getting to you last night, hey kid?" Al chirped when he saw Lucky start walking their way.

"No but it seems like Frank here ended up getting to his sister, if you know what I mean," Lucky said cheekily as he took a drag from his cigarette. Frank didn't react.

"I don't think we do know what you mean," Frank retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking down at Lucky. Lucky wasn't a short man but Frank seemed very imposing in this moment.

"So you're saying the girl I saw you leave with wasn't Maria?"

This time Al reacted. He hit Frank on the shoulder and looked up at his older brother with wide eyes and let out a "No shit!"

Lucky smirked as he looked over his shoulder and saw Nucky's car approaching in the distance, a cloud of dust following it like a bad omen.

"You know it ain't exactly a good idea to be fucking with someone else's woman," Lucky said to Frank, before turning around and walking back towards Rothstein. Arthur would want him by his side when Nucky showed up.

"She sure didn't act like a kept woman," Frank said quietly, almost like he knew Lucky would hear.

Lucky could feel his temper rising but focussed all of his attention on the cigarette between his lips. Taking a deep inhale, he closed his eyes and calmed himself. He could almost picture Meyer glaring at him, something that almost always made him take a second to actually think about his actions. And he knew Meyer would not approve of him punching one of Torrio's men in the face in the middle of a meeting with three of the most influential people in the country.

"Arnold, Johnny," Nucky nodded when he hopped out of his shiny blue Rolls Royce.

"So, gentlemen, tell me why you've dragged me out of my beautiful home in Chicago to this fucking dump in New Jersey?" Johnny asked, bitterness dripping from his voice but the smirk on his face telling another story.

"Well, Nucky, I'm sure you've heard about my predicted indictment," Arnold started.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't," Nucky responded curtly.

"Yes, well, I am of the understanding that you happen to have a few connections in Chicago. Some that may be, how should I say it, of some help to me and my current situation."

"Why do you have to go through me?"

"Well, it seems that I am not particularly well liked in Chicago. And in light of recent events-" Arnold looked at Johnny who just shook his head, "It would be difficult for me to weasel out of this one on my own."

"And you're asking me for help."

"Yes, that is correct."

"And what are you going to do for me?"

"Name your price." Arnold said, boldly.

"One million dollars. Cash." Lucky let out a whistle. Arnold merely raised his eyebrows. "And the location of the D'Alessio brothers."

"That can be arranged. Charlie here can help you with the second request."

"And if you ever try any more shit in my city again, I will fucking kill you." Nucky spat before turning to Jimmy. "Get the information from Luciano."

Rothstein turned to Lucky and merely shrugged, lips turned up slightly at the corners. Lucky let out a small laugh, only Arnold would shrug at the thought of paying someone a million dollars cash with a death threat on the side.

Jimmy shared a few words with Nucky before approaching Lucky. Such was life, Lucky was now turning in the very men that he had given jobs. He felt no remorse, just pity that this wouldn't reflect well on himself.

"You know where they are?" Jimmy asked, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Yeah."

* * *

Maria had awoken surrounded by billowing white sheets, more comfortable than any cloud she had ever dreamed of as a child. She stretched languidly, rubbing her palms over the soft blanket and coming to a stop at a pillow, which she clutched closely and buried her face in.

Sitting up, she realized that the large hotel room was empty. The silence seemed to bounce off the walls and come back with a force capable of knocking the wind out of her.

Breathing deeply, she gathered her dress off the floor. Her hands felt the smooth fabric, more expensive than her rent in New York. She felt a deep, hollow sensation in her stomach. Frank hadn't left any notes on the table, quickly scrawled and showing he cared, even a little bit.

Her mind drifted to Meyer as she pulled the dress over her head. She took his boyish charm for granted, the fact that he was always willing to see her. The looks he gave her when they'd walk down the street arm in arm after a supper infused with one too many drinks.

She didn't rush into anything with Meyer because she was afraid. She jumped into Frank's bed because she didn't care.


End file.
